[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Pages 20911-20912]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                IN RECOGNITION OF THE BAYER CORPORATION

  Mr. SPECTER. Madam President, I have sought recognition to recognize 
and acknowledge the activities of one of my own very good corporate 
neighbors and constituents, the Bayer Corporation of Pittsburgh. Last 
week, on October 24, Bayer Corporation's president and chief executive 
officer, Mr. Helge H. Wehmeier, and U.S. Postmaster General John E. 
Potter announced Bayer's donation of 2 million doses of their 
antibiotic Cipro, one of the FDA's drugs of choice for the treatment 
and cure of anthrax disease.
  This medication was donated to the Federal Government and is intended 
for use by Federal employees who may need it. The medication will be 
administered by U.S. Federal health care agencies, including the 
Department of Health and Human Services and its Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, as well as local and State health care 
officials in the Washington, DC, area.
  There has been a claim, and justifiably so, for the heroism of our 
firemen, our police, and our health care workers who responded to the 
attacks on September 11. Now with the problems with anthrax, we 
appropriately add to that honor roll the U.S. postal workers. Mr. Helge 
H. Wehmeier had noted that the unsung heroes, less celebrated perhaps, 
but no less brave in their readiness to perform their duties, were the 
postal workers. Regrettably, we have seen problems with anthrax there. 
The contribution by Bayer should be of substantial help.
  I also call my colleagues' attention to the comments of Department of 
Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson last week with 
respect to the negotiations with Bayer and Mr. Wehmeier. I ask 
unanimous consent, following these brief remarks, there be printed in 
the Record a copy of the press release which was issued following the 
meeting with Secretary Thompson and Mr. Wehmeier, president and CEO of 
the Bayer Corporation.

[[Page 20912]]

  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                   HHS, Bayer Agree to Cipro Purchase

       Washington, Oct. 24.--HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson and 
     Mr. Helge H. Wehmeier, President and CEO of Bayer 
     Corporation, today announced agreement for a significant new 
     federal purchase of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin (trademarked 
     Cipro) at a substantially lowered price. The antibiotic is 
     expected to be available by year end. Supplementing existing 
     emergency stockpiles, it would be available for use in the 
     event of a bioterror event.
       Under the terms of the agreement valued at $95 million, HHS 
     will pay 95 cents per tablet for a total initial order of 100 
     million tablets. This compares with a previously discounted 
     price of $1.77 per tablet paid by the federal government. 
     Bayer said it will rotate the government's inventory, as part 
     of this agreement, to assure the American public a 
     continuously fresh supply of Cipro. This inventory rotation 
     adds an additional value of 30 percent for the government, 
     which is included in the agreement.
       Funds for the purchase are included in the $1.6 billion 
     emergency proposal made by President Bush Oct. 17, which 
     awaits Congressional action. HHS is also carrying out 
     substantial new purchases of other antibiotics that are 
     effective against anthrax, especially doxycycline. The 
     purchases will fulfill Secretary Thompson's proposal to 
     quickly increase the nation's emergency reserve of 
     antibiotics. Resources to be on hand by January would treat 
     up to 12 million persons immediately for anthrax exposure. 
     Treatment would be with a mixture of effective antibiotic 
     products, with Cipro representing about 10 percent of the 
     antibiotics on reserve. Currently, 18.6 million Cipro doses 
     are available in the nation's emergency reserve, which would 
     enable immediate treatment of about 2 million persons in 
     combination with other antibiotics.
       ``This agreement means that a much larger supply of this 
     important pharmaceutical product will be available if 
     needed,'' Secretary Thompson said. ``The beneficial price 
     also means that we can have more funds available to assist 
     state and local health responders to be ready for all 
     eventualities. I commend the Bayer Corporation for its 
     ongoing efforts to ensure a fully adequate supply of this 
     valuable product.''
       ``Bayer is fully committed to supplying America in its war 
     on bioterrorism. This agreement between Bayer and the 
     Department of Health and Human Services is an important 
     security measure that will enable the nation to have in its 
     stockpile ample supplies of Cipro to combat the threat of 
     anthrax,'' said Bayer president Wehmeier. ``Cipro has become 
     standard for anthrax treatment. The men and women of Bayer 
     are 100 percent committed to delivering this vital antibiotic 
     to the U.S. government on schedule.''
       Secretary Thompson said current supplies of Cipro and other 
     antibiotics which are effective against anthrax ``are 
     entirely adequate to meet the current need. This purchase is 
     aimed at expanding our emergency stand-by capacity, to make 
     us even better prepared for the possibility of massive 
     exposure to anthrax or other biological agents.''
       As a further contingency, the agreement provides for the 
     option of a second order of 100 million tablets at 85 cents, 
     and a third order at 75 cents, if it is determined that 
     further orders are needed. Cipro is one of many antibiotics 
     that have been found effective in the treatment of exposure 
     to anthrax in the incidents in recent weeks. Current 
     treatment practice for anthrax exposure, including those 
     possibly exposed to anthrax, is a 60-day course, involving 
     initial use of a broad spectrum antibiotic like Cipro, for 
     five days, followed by determination of other antibiotics to 
     which the pathogen is susceptible.
       The Cipro to be purchased would be used to expand emergency 
     stand-by supplies in the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile 
     (NPS), maintained by HHS' Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention. The NPS includes both vendor managed inventory 
     and 50-ton ``Push Packages,'' designed to be able to reach 
     any point in the continental United States within 12 hours. 
     The current eight ``Push Packages'' are to be expanded to 12, 
     under the President's proposals.

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