Chiesi Farmaceutici (Chiesi), a research-focused healthcare group, is to provide unrestricted grants worth more than £2.8 million to support UK respiratory patients during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

A number of Chiesi’s employees have already volunteered to support the NHS, while the company continues to deliver food supplies to some of the most vulnerable families across the country.

In addition to providing funds for the UK, Chiesi is also putting forward €3 million to support Italy’s response to Covid-19.  

Following the decree by the Italian government on March 22, calling the manufacture of all non-essential products in Italy to stop, Chiesi Group confirmed that production of all company medicines would continue without interruption at its sites in Italy and abroad.

This fund will support a range of actions including donations of personal protective equipment, ventilators and sanitising gel in response to requests from hospitals and other health institutions. 

The company has also made direct donations of drugs for respiratory diseases to hospitals in Italy as well as China. 

Chiesi has put in place several contingency measures to ensure the continuous supply of its medicines in all the countries it provides for are distributed to support the health and wellbeing of employees and patients. 

Tom Delahoyde, managing director of Chiesi in the UK and Ireland, said, “In this challenging time, Chiesi is committed to doing all we can to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, safeguard our employees’ safety and wellbeing, and support the NHS. We have taken responsive action and we will continue to closely monitor the situation and implement whatever steps are necessary to help our patients.”

Alberto Chiesi, president of Chiesi, commented: “I am deeply proud of the commitment demonstrated by all our employees in this difficult time and would like to extend my personal thanks to them all.”

He added: “We are honoured to be able to play our part in response to the crisis caused by this pandemic. In Italy we are facing what can only be described as a national emergency. As we increase our initiatives to protect our employees and patients, their safety will remain our first priority. I am deeply proud of the commitment demonstrated by all our employees in this difficult time and would like to extend my personal thanks to them all.”