American Thoracic Society Announces that Boehringer Ingelheim is the First Donor of its COVID‐19 Crisis Fund

Ridgefield, Conn., April 7, 2020 – As part of Boehringer Ingelheim’s commitment to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and long-standing partnership with the pulmonology community, the company is donating $500,000 to the American Thoracic Society (ATS) COVID-19 Crisis Fund. Boehringer Ingelheim is the first pharmaceutical company to contribute to this important fund that helps bolster ATS’s wide-reaching efforts to fight COVID-19 and assist the pulmonology and critical care communities most urgent medical needs.

The COVID-19 Crisis Fund will focus on several areas:  

• development and dissemination of educational resources based on the very latest information regarding prevention and treatment of COVID‐19 and other pulmonary and critical care conditions;
• support rapid information collection and dissemination in times of crisis;
• develop rapid response capabilities that provide expert recommendations and suggestions to address areas lacking in empirical evidence;
• provide resources to clinicians in need of expanding their skill set during this emergency. 

“Supporting the needs of the pulmonology and critical care communities is what Boehringer Ingelheim has stood for throughout our company’s history and we are proud to stand with the ATS to make a critical difference to help slow the spread of COVID-19,” said Thomas Seck, M.D., SVP of Medicine & Regulatory Affairs, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. “This donation is one of several steps that our company is taking to provide assistance to healthcare professionals and patients facing this crisis.”

“On behalf of the entire ATS community I want to thank Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for their incredibly generous support,” said ATS President James Beck, M.D. “Everyone in the respiratory community – healthcare providers at all levels, government and industry – are working shoulder to shoulder to manage the incredible challenges surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. This gift will go a long way in helping the ATS pursue its mission of enhancing patient care at a time when resources are stretched so thin. Thank you!”

The goal of the fund is to make a meaningful difference in the fight against the spread of COVID-19. By providing pulmonology and critical care communities with the latest knowledge and resources to best care for patients, the COVID-19 Crisis Fund is an important resource for healthcare professionals during this global pandemic.

About Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., based in Ridgefield, Conn., is the largest U.S. subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation.

Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world’s top 20 pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, the company operates globally with approximately 50,000 employees. Since its founding in 1885, the company has remained family-owned, and today our goal is to improve the lives of humans and animals through its three business areas: human pharmaceuticals, animal health and biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing.

Boehringer Ingelheim concentrates on developing innovative therapies that can improve and extend patients’ lives. As a research-driven pharmaceutical company, it plans in generations for long-term success. Its research efforts are focused on diseases with high, unmet medical need. In animal health, the company stands for advanced prevention.

Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to improving lives and strengthening our communities. Please visit www.boehringer-ingelheim.us/csr to learn more about Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.

For more information, please visit www.boehringer-ingelheim.us, or follow us on Twitter @BoehringerUS.