The drug industry was quicker off the mark than FEMA in pledging and delivering support for the relief effort in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, donating $45 million in medicines to help hurricane survivors.
Several dozen top pharmaceutical firms contributed drugs, cash and, in the case of Amylin, an emergency diabetes clinic in Baton Rouge for those made homeless and destitute by the disaster.
By the following week, Pfizer had put $1 million toward rebuilding hospitals and another million for relief, along with a broad array of donated medicines. Bayer donated $4 million in cash and goods, along with 45,000 blood glucose monitors and test strips. J&J donated an initial $5 million in cash to various organizations, along with $1 million in personal care kits and other essentials.
Meanwhile, the FDA has postponed the first session in its “Vision 2006” consumer listening tour to give FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford and other top FDA officials more time to concentrate on the ongoing relief efforts.
The first stop on the question and answer tour to hear consumer concerns was scheduled to take place in Miami on Tuesday, Sept. 13. Rescheduling details were not made available, as Hurricane relief efforts were a “priority,” a spokeswoman added.
The Vision 2006 sessions on Nov. 2 in Boston and Nov. 30 in Phoenix were scheduled to proceed as planned, the agency said.