CORRECTING and REPLACING Sozosei Foundation Donates $439,000 to Support Those With Mental Health and Kidney Diseases

April 24, 2020 02:50 UTC

Grants Distributed to Four Non-Profit Organizations Serving Patients, Healthcare Workers and Their Families Dealing with the Impact of COVID-19

CORRECTION ... by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Second paragraph, first bullet of release should read: National Alliance on Mental Illness (instead of: National Alliance on Mental Health).

The corrected release reads:

Sozosei Foundation Donates $439,000 to Support Those With Mental Health and Kidney Diseases

Grants Distributed to Four Non-Profit Organizations Serving Patients, Healthcare Workers and Their Families Dealing with the Impact of COVID-19

As part of its continuing commitment to helping those in need with mental health and kidney diseases, the Sozosei Foundation, a U.S.-based, private charitable foundation committed to the health and well-being of our communities, has committed $439,000 in donations to four national, non-profit organizations that are offering support services to assist patients, healthcare workers, and families who have been impacted by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

Each organization was selected because they are focusing their efforts on an array of critical services needed at this time, including access to mental health care, online support groups, mental health support services for healthcare professionals, and financial support to kidney patients for transportation to dialysis, medicines, and food. Grants were provided to the following organizations:

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (www.nami.org)
• American Kidney Fund (www.kidneyfund.org)
• Mental Health America (www.mhanational.org)
• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (www.dbsalliance.org)

“The Sozosei Foundation’s mission is to be a catalyst for driving collaborations that nurture innovative solutions in the areas of mental health and kidney diseases,” said William H. Carson, MD, chairman, Board of Directors, Sozosei Foundation, and chairman, Board of Directors, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. “With the current COVID-19 health crisis, we are privileged to support these organizations in their efforts to pioneer creative initiatives that will help those most impacted by this pandemic.”

These donations represent the ongoing support of the Sozosei Foundation to promote public awareness and education of critical healthcare issues, as well as support for charitable and qualified exempt organizations.

“MHA is incredibly appreciative of the support of the Sozosei Foundation,” said Paul Gionfriddo, president and CEO, Mental Health America. “There is absolutely no question that the COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound impact on the nation’s mental health, and for those health care workers on the frontlines, it is all too real. It is because of the Sozosei Foundation’s generous contribution Mental Health America will be able to respond to the needs of health care workers, their families, and Americans around the country to provide critical mental health-related resources to those that need it.”

“We are so grateful to the Sozosei Foundation for this profoundly generous gift that will put food on the table, provide safe transportation to dialysis and other medical appointments, and pay for medical essentials for hundreds of low-income dialysis and post-transplant patients during this crisis,” said LaVarne A. Burton, president and CEO of the American Kidney Fund. “The AKF Coronavirus Emergency Fund is a lifeline for patients who are vulnerable and highly susceptible to serious illness if they come in contact with the coronavirus. 100% of this gift will go directly to patients in need.”

About the Sozosei Foundation

The Sozosei Foundation is a U.S.-based, private charitable foundation committed to the health and well-being of our communities, including improved patient diagnosis, treatment, care, and quality of life, especially for those patients who are most in need.

About Otsuka

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a global healthcare company with the corporate philosophy: “Otsuka–people creating new products for better health worldwide.” Otsuka researches, develops, manufactures and markets innovative products, with a focus on pharmaceutical products to meet unmet medical needs and nutraceutical products for the maintenance of everyday health.

In pharmaceuticals, Otsuka is a leader in the challenging areas of mental, renal and cardiovascular health and has additional research programs in oncology and on several under-addressed diseases including tuberculosis, a significant global public health issue. These commitments illustrate how Otsuka is a “big venture” company at heart, applying a youthful spirit of creativity in everything it does.

Otsuka established a presence in the U.S. in 1973 and today its U.S. affiliates include Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. (OPDC) and Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. (OAPI). These two companies’ 1,700 employees in the U.S. develop and commercialize medicines in the areas of mental health, nephrology and cardiology, using cutting-edge technology to address unmet healthcare needs. Otsuka’s most recently approved product in the U.S. is the first-ever treatment for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, a genetic disorder in which fluid-filled cysts develop in the kidneys over time, often leading to kidney failure.

OPDC and OAPI are indirect subsidiaries of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The Otsuka group of companies employed 47,000 people worldwide and had consolidated sales of approximately USD 11.7 billion in 2018.

All Otsuka stories start by taking the road less travelled. Learn more about Otsuka in the U.S. at www.otsuka-us.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter at @OtsukaUS. Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.’s global website is accessible at www.otsuka.co.jp/en/.

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