Amgen commits up to $12.5M to support COVID-19 relief efforts

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., March 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) and the Amgen Foundation today announced an initial commitment of up to $12.5 million to support U.S. and global relief efforts to address critical needs in communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The funds will be used to support emergency response efforts in Amgen's U.S. and international communities, patient-focused organizations that are mounting their own response efforts, and international relief efforts by Direct Relief and International Medical Corps. The Amgen Foundation will also match donations made by Amgen staff around the globe who wish to contribute their own funds to the relief efforts. 

"The COVID-19 pandemic is precipitating a series of unprecedented challenges for people, governments and healthcare systems around the globe.  It is also a very local phenomenon presenting an acute need to immediately support community measures to slow the spread of the virus and help those directly impacted," said Robert A. Bradway, chairman and chief executive officer at Amgen.  "Our hope is that this commitment will help organizations on the front lines address urgent needs as we begin to better understand the longer-term needs of our communities."   

Free online learning programs supported by the Amgen Foundation are also available to help students continue their science education during school closures, including LabXchange™ and Khan Academy's online learning website.  Developed with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, LabXchange is a free online science education platform that provides users with access to personalized instruction, virtual lab experiences and networking opportunities across the global scientific community.  Khan Academy has grown its biology offering, with the Amgen Foundation's support, to more than 300 videos, 80 exercise sets and 195 articles.

This article was first published on 23 March by Amgen.