On September 28, ASTS received a request for help from the transplant center in Puerto Rico on behalf of the 2,500 transplant patients on the island. Many of them went to the hospital seeking shelter and clean water, and with pharmacies closed in many areas, there was a danger that patients would run out of immunosuppressive medications.
ASTS is grateful to members Thomas C. Pearson, MD, PhD, at Emory and Adam D. Griesemer, MD, at Columbia for their help securing and sending some of the requested drugs. ASTS also thanks Encompass RX, Total Care Rx, Genentech, Astellas, and Novartis for their help in donating and shipping needed medications.
John Olsen, PharmD, Co-CEO of Encompass Rx, said, “Encompass Rx is honored to be a part of the ongoing aid effort in Puerto Rico. We are passionate about the communities we serve and transplant recipients hold a special place in our hearts. Thank you to all of the people that are helping coordinate this humanitarian effort.”
Jean C. Emond, MD, ASTS President, said, “It has been inspiring to see the transplant community come together to help those in need. ASTS exists to help our members and their patients, and we are pleased to have been a part of this generous effort by our industry partners and our peers.”