PEARL RIVER, N.Y., Sept. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wyeth today kicks off the 100th anniversary celebration of its Pearl River, N.Y., research and manufacturing facility, honoring the generations of employees at the site who have contributed to significant advances in medical science and human health.
The 550-acre complex, located in Rockland County approximately 20 miles north of New York City, employs approximately 3,200 people and is one of the largest manufacturing and research facilities in Wyeth’s global network. It is a recognized leader in the discovery, development and manufacture of a wide range of innovative health care products, including pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology products and non-prescription consumer products.
“The history of Pearl River closely mirrors the history of the modern pharmaceutical industry,” says Charles Portwood, president Technical Operations & Product Supply (TO&PS). “Over the years, it has been associated with many of the important medical advances and accomplishments in the health care field. And it continues to produce some of Wyeth’s most sophisticated products and to pioneer manufacturing innovations that are used across the Wyeth network.”
Numerous medical milestones are associated with Pearl River. The site pioneered the production of tetanus antitoxin and was a major manufacturing center for typhoid, smallpox and polio vaccines. And it was researchers at Pearl River who discovered Aureomycin chlortetracycline, one of the first broad-spectrum antibiotics. The site also manufactured the company’s first FDA-licensed product - diphtheria antitoxin.
“We are extremely proud of the contributions that Pearl River has made to improving health here in the United States and around the world,” says Robert Ruffolo, president of Wyeth’s Research & Development unit. “The work of researchers at the site has led to the development of breakthrough therapies to fight serious infections and diseases and to promote global health.”
Today, the Pearl River facility is responsible for producing a number of Wyeth’s leading products. Included are such products as Prevnar(R), (Pneumococcal 7-valent Conjugate Vaccine [Diptheria CRM197 Protein]) and Centrum(R).
In 2006, the Pearl River site received the Wyeth President’s Award for Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Excellence and became the first site to receive the Company’s highest EHS award two times.
The site is a strong supporter of the Rockland County United Way and several community-based organizations that provide support for people in need. In addition, Pearl River is a corporate sponsor and host site of key fund raising events for the regional chapters of two well-known nonprofit organizations: the Annual Centrum Walk/Run and Prevnar Kids Run, which supports the March of Dimes in its work to fight premature births, and the Walk to Cure Diabetes, which supports the efforts of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
As part of the Pearl River anniversary celebration, Wyeth is donating $500,000 to the Children’s Health Fund’s (CHF) Urban Health Initiative. The donation will assist the more than one in five children that live in poverty - which totals more than 15 million boys and girls in the United States - obtain better health care services.
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth, has leading products in the areas of women’s health care, infectious disease, gastrointestinal health, central nervous system, inflammation, transplantation, hemophilia, oncology, vaccines and nutritional products.
Wyeth is one of the world’s largest research-driven pharmaceutical and health care products companies. It is a leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology products and non-prescription medicines that improve the quality of life for people worldwide. The Company’s major divisions include Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare and Fort Dodge Animal Health.
The statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements based on current expectations of future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include the inherent uncertainty of the timing and success of, and expense associated with, research, development, regulatory approval and commercialization of our products, including with respect to our pipeline products; government cost-containment initiatives; restrictions on third-party payments for our products; substantial competition in our industry, including from branded and generic products; data generated on our products; the importance of strong performance from our principal products and our anticipated new product introductions; the highly regulated nature of our business; product liability, intellectual property and other litigation risks and environmental liabilities; uncertainty regarding our intellectual property rights and those of others; difficulties associated with, and regulatory compliance with respect to, manufacturing of our products; risks associated with our strategic relationships; economic conditions including interest and currency exchange rate fluctuations; changes in generally accepted accounting principles; trade buying patterns; the impact of legislation and regulatory compliance; risks and uncertainties associated with global operations and sales; and other risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in our periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our current reports on Form 8-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and annual report on Form 10-K, particularly the discussion under the caption “Item 1A, Risk Factors.” The forward-looking statements in this press release are qualified by these risk factors. We assume no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
Wyeth
CONTACT: Media, Wendy Kouba, +1-484-865-5985, or Michael Lampe,+1-484-865-1346, both of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, or Investors, JustinVictoria of Wyeth, +1-973-660-5340
Web site: http://www.wyeth.com//
