Leading The Fight: How Health Care Leaders Are Working Together To Combat COVID-19 And Improve Quality Care

WASHINGTON – At this critical moment, when the nation is depending on our health care system, America’s leading doctors, nurses, clinicians, hospitals, health insurance providers, biopharmaceutical companies and employers are committed to working together to defeat and overcome the COVID-19 crisis.

Particularly, private health care and biopharmaceutical companies are working to get Americans the innovative tests, treatments and vaccines they need today.  Here are just a few examples of how they’re making an impact:

The Federal Government And Leading Pharmaceutical Companies Are Working Together To Combat COVID-19 With Innovative Vaccines And Treatments:

Biopharmaceutical Leaders And Research Partners Have Added New Drug Development Programs In A Matter Of Weeks To Help Fast-Track COVID-19 Treatments. “The biopharma industry and its research partners have added new drug development programs in a matter of weeks.  For instance, under Operation Warp Speed, a public-private partnership aimed at fast-tracking COVID-19 treatments, the government is supporting five companies with the goal of having 100 million vaccine doses available by November – a project of scale and speed never seen in the life sciences industry.” (Giovanni Caforio, “Bristol Myers Squibb CEO: Why The COVID-19 Pandemic Has Me Optimistic About The Future Of Medical Research,” Fortune, 6/9/20)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Started A Public-Private Group To Speed Up Efforts To Develop A COVID-19 Vaccine. “The National Institutes of Health, CDC, FDA and other federal health agencies are partnering with pharmaceutical cos. to quicken coronavirus vaccine research and development.  The Accelerating Covid-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines partnership will develop a framework for prioritizing vaccine and drug candidates, NIH says in a statement.  Drug cos. include AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Evotec, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Sanofi.  NOTE: HHS, CDC, FDA, and European Medicine Agency are part of coordinated research.” (Teaganne Finn, “NIH Starts Public-Private Group To Speed Up Virus Vaccine Work,” Bloomberg, 4/17/20)  

In A March Meeting, The Trump Administration Announced That It Would Work With Top Pharmaceutical Executives To Collaborate And Build Vaccines And Treatments To Combat COVID-19. (Jeff Mason, “Trump Administration Says Drug Makers Will Work Together To Combat Coronavirus,” Reuters, 3/2/20)

Vice President Mike Pence: “Our Pharmaceutical Companies, Which Are Recognized As The Greatest In The World, Have Already Formed A Consortium To Work Together, To Share Information In The Development Of Therapeutics And Vaccines.” (Lev Facher, “Trump’s Tone Toward Pharma Shifts, As He Looks To Drug Makers To Help With Coronavirus Response,” STAT, 3/2/20)

The Biopharmaceutical Industry Is Collaborating With U.S. And Global Health Authorities To Combat COVID-19. “In these unprecedented times, we are coming together to achieve one shared goal: the eradication of COVID-19.  The decades-long investments we have made in new technology, research and treatments have prepared us to act swiftly:

• We are dedicating our top scientists and using our investments in new technologies to speed the development of safe and effective vaccines;
• We are rapidly screening our vast global libraries of medicines to identify potential treatments and have numerous clinical trials underway to test new and existing therapies;
• We are sharing the learnings from clinical trials in real time with governments and other companies to advance the development of additional therapies;
• We are expanding our unique manufacturing capabilities and sharing available capacity to ramp up production once a successful medicine or vaccine is developed;
• We are collaborating with government agencies, hospitals, doctors and others to donate supplies and medicines to help those affected around the world;
• We are working with governments and insurers to ensure that when new treatments and vaccines are approved they will be available and affordable for patients.”

 (The Latest On The Biopharmaceutical Industry’s Efforts To Beat Coronavirus, PhRMA, Accessed 3/27/20)

America’s Vast Life-Science Industry Is Helping Combat COVID-19. “Most important is developing a therapy to treat Covid-19 or perhaps prevent people from contracting it.  America is home to a vast, dynamic life-science industry.  This is its moment.  This is why decades of drug investment and development matter so much.” (Scott Gottlieb, “How Long Will The Coronavirus Lockdowns Go On?” The Wall Street Journal, 3/22/20) 

Treatment and Cures Innovation By The Free Market Is The Best Hope We Have For Defeating COVID-19. “Developed by Gilead Sciences, the biotech firm, remdesivir helped to reduce the length of hospital stays in some Covid-19 patients.  While those results are preliminary, and a much larger trial is underway, the FDA was right to allow the drug’s use for patients who have little recourse.  Until a vaccine is discovered, better treatments will be our main medical defense against the disease.” (Editorial, “Drug Innovation To The Rescue,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/1/20)

“Drugmakers Are Reconfiguring Manufacturing Plants And Hiring Hundreds Of New Workers To Be Ready To Make Coronavirus Drugs And Vaccines Should They Prove In Testing To Be Effective In Fighting Off The Virus.” “Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer Inc. and other companies are gearing up so they can make hundreds of millions of doses of coronavirus pills and shots as quickly as possible if studies support their worth.  For some companies, the efforts involve shifting production of existing drugs to other factories, rejiggering supply chains and even partnering with rivals.” (Peter Loftus & Joseph Walker, “Drugmakers Prepare To Make Coronavirus Treatments,” The Wall Street Journal, 4/23/20)

Just Three Months After The Start Of The COVID-19 Pandemic, Several Biotech Companies Are Beginning Trials Of Promising Vaccines And Treatments. “As the coronavirus pandemic spreads at unprecedented rates, invading the lungs of people of all ages, ethnicities and medical histories, companies are ratcheting up their efforts to fight the disease with accelerated schedules for creating new vaccines, and beginning clinical trials for potential treatments.” (Knvul Sheikh & Katie Thomas, “More Coronavirus Vaccines And Treatments Move Toward Human Trials,” The New York Times, 4/8/20)

A Coalition Of Health Systems, Tech Giants And Health Care Vendors Are Collaborating To Increase COVID-19 Testing And Coordinate Early Therapies. “The private industry effort, spearhead by Mayo Clinic’s John Halamka, M.D. and other industry leaders, plans to leverage the strengths of healthcare organizations, technology companies, non-profits, academia, and startups to provide a focused response to the coronavirus outbreak.  ‘Each coalition member is bringing its unique assets, sharing resources and plans, and working together to support those on the front lines in responding to COVID-19,’ the COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition said in a press release.” (Heather Landi, “Mayo Clinic, Amazon, Others Launch Collaboration To Increase COVID-19 Testing, Vaccine Development,” Fierce Healthcare, 3/25/20)