Pfizer, like other major pharmaceutical companies, has announced that it will cease new clinical trials in Russia and donate revenue generated in the country to the Ukrainian cause.
"Today we are announcing that effective immediately Pfizer will donate all profits of our Russian subsidiary to causes that provide direct humanitarian support to the people of Ukraine," a company statement said.
"We cannot stop the flow of our medicines to Russia," Bourla said. "Always with sanctions, medicines are excluded," he added.
"Ending delivery of medicines, including cancer or cardiovascular therapies, would cause significant patient suffering and potential loss of life, particularly among children and elderly people," the company noted.
Sanctions against Russia do not include medications, though economic penalties may make deliveries more difficult.
Though the company will not begin new trials, existing ones will be continued. Patients who are already enrolled will continue to take their medications, according to Bourla.
The company will collaborate with the FDA and other regulators to relocate the ongoing clinical trials to locations outside of Russia, Pfizer said.
Other business goes on, and J&J Chief Financial Officer Joe Wolk said it's critical that any economic sanctions against Russia continue to exempt health-care products.
"Literally if our products don't get to the patients in need, people will die or have severe consequences," Wolk said Tuesday during a Raymond James investor conference, according to a transcript.
According to Wolk, Russia and Ukraine account for about 1% of J&J's sales. Pharmaceuticals account for half of the company's Russia business, with the rest split between medical equipment and consumer health items.
GlaxoSmithKline, a British pharmaceutical company with offices in Philadelphia, stated that "everyone has the right to health care" and that the company will continue to deliver its medicines "to the people of Russia, while we can."
GSK, on the other hand, has stated that it will cease "any direct involvement and support to the Russian government and military to the greatest extent possible."
The industry's primary trade body, PhRMA, stated that its members "serve a critical humanitarian role," and that each company is evaluating its capacity to continue operations.
A group of biotech execs also signed an open letter on Feb. 26 advocating for "economic disengagement" from Russia in their industry. More than 800 signatories from life sciences companies, financial firms, and other organizations have since endorsed it.
Ukraine's government said on Thursday that 50 foreign businesses doing business in Russia will be boycotted as of Mar. 9, including Pfizer and J&J.
International humanitarian law requires and the UN supports continuing to provide medical care in the face of sanctions. As Russia continues to attack hospitals and target regions near refugee camps, the matter has become more pressing.
