Amgen establishes earthquake relief initiative

Amgen has revealed that it will donate funds to the Haiti earthquake relief and establish its own aid initiative.

The organisation will donate $2 million (1.21 million pounds) to Haiti relief efforts and its employees are also being encouraged to contribute money to the cause.

This can be achieved through the Amgen Foundation’s Disaster Relief Programme website for staff worldwide, who can pledge funds to designated organisations using the online hub.

According to the company, the foundation will match staff contributions put forth through the website.

Kevin Sharer, Amgen’s chairman and chief executive officer, said: “The earthquake that hit Haiti this week has devastated the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Port-au-Prince and beyond.”

Earlier this month, Amgen’s executive vice-president of research and development Dr Roger Perlmutter received recognition for his work in the discovery and development of novel therapies.

These include treatments for cancer, asthma, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other life-threatening conditions.