Our mission is to make a significant positive difference in the lives of patients. The essence of that mission is to provide access to our therapies for every patient who needs it, worldwide, regardless of the patient's ability to pay. This is the first step and the first priority as we build our business.
This access-first approach drives Genzyme's commitment to providing patients with needed treatments in countries whose healthcare systems have not yet developed to the point where they can fund them. In 2007, Genzyme provided more than $110 million in drugs, at no cost to patients, in numerous countries around the world.
> GAUCHER INITIATIVE / AFRICA
Casmira Domingos da Graça, who lives in Cape Verde, is the only person in these islands off the west coast of Africa known to have Gaucher disease. A committed teacher, she often had to miss classes because of the severity of her symptoms-no more, thanks to the Gaucher Initiative and Cerezyme.
Through the Gaucher Initiative, a partnership with humanitarian organization Project HOPE, we have worked since 1999 to provide Cerezyme for people suffering from Gaucher disease. We currently are supporting more than 250 Gaucher patients in 19 countries. In addition to the Gaucher Initiative, we do what is necessary-in some regions, we manage free drug programs ourselves, in others we partner with local organizations-to provide important therapies at no cost.
We also reach outside of our commercial interests to participate in efforts to advance new treatments for neglected diseases such as malaria and sleeping sickness. Through the Humanitarian Assistance for Neglected Diseases (HAND) Initiative, we focus on projects where we can play a defined role in moving a promising new therapy from discovery toward clinical testing. As part of the HAND Initiative, we formed a research collaboration with Brazil's Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) in 2007 with an initial focus on Chagas disease, a life-threatening infectious disease affecting millions in Latin America.
We view corporate responsibility as an expression of our commitment to patients that extends far beyond therapies. For four consecutive years, Genzyme has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for economic, environmental and social performance because of our programs to support health and science education, environmental practices, contributions to important organizations in communities where we have facilities and a culture of volunteerism among our employees. We are highly committed to minimizing the impact our operations have on the environment-we have established a global standard for measuring and managing key aspects of environmental impact at all our facilities.
ANNUAL REPORT HOME
Senior members of the Genzyme/Fiocruz research collaboration formed in Brazil to develop new treatments for neglected diseases. Pictured left to right: Rogério Vivaldi, Senior Vice President & General Manager of Latin America, Genzyme; Carlos Morel, Director, Center for Technological Development in Health (CDTS), Fiocruz; Dr. José da Rocha Carvalheiro, Vice President Research and Technological Development, Fiocruz; Paulo Braga, Vice President Clinical & Medical Affairs for Latin America, Genzyme.
