Angelini Pharma on the front lines against COVID-19
“Angelini Pharma remains mobilized in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 to protect our doctors, nurses, medical workers on the front lines and all Italians. With Italy. For Italy.”
Pierluigi Antonelli, CEO of Angelini Pharma
Rome, 20 March 2020 - Angelini Pharma has donated a total of 20 tons of disinfectant to Italian regions and the Civil Protection Department since the start of the crisis, while ramping up production at its factories and cooperating on price transparency. At the same time, it is offering training to employees working from home and protecting those at work who ensure production does not stop. This is how we are responding to the crisis and helping to protect our workers in Italy and throughout Europe, as well as our fellow Italians.
Our production
In response to the sudden, staggering spike in demand for disinfectants, Angelini Pharma is producing vast quantities of Amuchina® brand products at its Casella and Ancona sites. Our colleagues are working around the clock, seven days a week, to meet this unprecedented demand. In Casella, the packaging lines are operating in 10 shifts per week. In Ancona, where the company produces hand gel, production is up to 20 shifts per week, plus one maintenance cycle, seven days a week. And this week, the Ministry of Health gave Angelini Pharma the go-ahead for a new production line. Indeed, having passed microbiological effectiveness testing to certify the effectiveness and rapidity of their action against bacteria, fungi and viruses, Amuchina® brand products are classified as “disinfectants” rather than mere “sanitizers” and are therefore considered medical devices.
Our supplies and our healthcare partners
In Italy, we are feeling the pressure from our partners, as we are unable to fill their orders fast enough. Despite all our efforts, demand remains high and we know it. Angelini Pharma has formed a “crisis committee” that is organizing product allocation to maintain the right balance between the delivery of supplies to hospitals - to protect doctors and nurses - and those sent to pharmacies and supermarkets.
Our transparency
Since the start of the crisis, Angelini Pharma has denounced the price gouging on Amuchina® brand products reported by the media and consumers. We are working to ensure that our products reach qualified suppliers only and we have cooperated with government bodies and the Ministry of Economic Development, providing our price lists and the discount rates applied to pharmacies and large retailers with utmost transparency.
Our responsibility
In Italy, the first country to be severely struck by the epidemic in Europe, we have donated 10,000 bottles of Amuchina® hand gel every week to Lombardy and Veneto, two of the worst-affected regions. As the pandemic evolved, we extended our donations to also include the Civil Guard, donating a total of 240,000 bottles of Amuchina® hand gel disinfectant: to date more than 20 tons. At this time of national medical emergency, the Angelini Foundation has announced its decision to support Lazzaro Spallanzani Hospital with a donation of 1 million euros that will help strengthen the research laboratories where, in February, COVID19 was isolated for the first time in Italy.
Our people
Like many companies, Angelini Pharma rapidly rolled out teleworking options for its employees at all sites in Italy and abroad. However, there is a big difference between choosing to work from home and having to work from home, especially when you have children to supervise with online schoolwork or older parents to care for. How can you create your own space, what kind of mindset should you have, how do you plan your day? In addition to providing tech support, Angelini Pharma has responded to these questions by offering widespread training in partnership with Methodos. At the factories, where our workers are ensuring the continuous production of essential goods like pharmaceuticals and rising to each and every challenge with absolute dedication, we immediately implemented all the safety measures established in the agreement between the Italian government and the trade unions, and our production committee conducts daily assessments to check whether additional measures need to be implemented to protect the health of our employees.
The commitment does not end here
Angelini Pharma is fully aware that - in such complex, uncertain times for our country and the world – we must be fully committed to health, development and solidarity despite the many difficulties we face. This is why our crisis committee will continue working on the front lines to listen and respond – as much as possible – to the needs of everyone who reaches out to us.