We take a broad view of our responsibility to patients and communities around the world.

Our social responsibility stems directly from our commitment to patients and is woven into the fabric of our business. First and foremost, we develop products that are safe and effective, and that make a major, positive difference to patients' health and lives. Part of this process is to make information available to patient and clinician communities through publication, patient registries, and patient education programs. We are dedicated to increasing access to our products, so we devote great effort to working with governments and private insurers to demonstrate their value. Where reimbursement is not yet a reality, we provide products through a variety of mechanisms while helping to build sustainable health-care systems.

Humanitarian initiatives
Since 1999, we have sponsored the Gaucher Initiative in collaboration with the international humanitarian organization Project HOPE. Through the Gaucher Initiative, more than 200 patients in 17 countries are receiving Cerezyme therapy, and we have additional programs in place to deliver Cerezyme to countries beyond Project HOPE's reach. Through similar initiatives, we provide therapies for Fabry disease, MPS I, and Pompe disease to more than 500 patients worldwide.

Following the tsunami that devastated areas of Southeast Asia at the end of 2004, we formed a new collaboration with Project HOPE to support rebuilding efforts. Through a $1 million contribution over three years, Genzyme is helping to create a sustainable health-care infrastructure and improve education for health professionals in tsunami-affected areas of Thailand and Indonesia.

Partnering with disease foundations is another important means of increasing access. We work with the American Kidney Fund to make Renagel available to patients who have no other means of access. We also assist patients in determining how they can access Renagel through their current health insurance.

Improving global health
Beyond increasing access to our commercial products, Genzyme has a commitment to improving global health more broadly. Such improvement entails addressing neglected diseases that plague developing countries and impede their progress. Much early research on neglected diseases has been conducted in academic laboratories, and we have formed partnerships that will enable us to contribute resources for advancing this research to therapeutic viability.