AbbVie donates $35 Million for COVID-19 relief

North Chicago-based AbbVie will donate $35 million to help support global COVID-19 relief efforts, the pharmaceutical company announced.

For the U.S., AbbVie officials said the funds will be used to support health care capacity for hospitals, as well as protect vulnerable populations by providing access to food and essential supplies. In Europe, the money will provide critical equipment and supplies to patients and front-line health care workers in the hardest-hit countries.

Part of the commitment will go to International Medical Corps to support increased health care capacity at overwhelmed hospital emergency departments in the U.S., where the agency is deploying a total of 20 mobile field hospitals to help increase surge capacity at overburdened hospitals. AbbVie is the sole donor funding the procurement of the tents, equipment, supplies, as well as all of the operating expenses for field hospitals in eight cities - including Chicago - through the end of 2020, officials said.

The company is also providing support for Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization. AbbVie's support means more people in need will benefit from Feeding America's services, which include food and essential supplies.

AbbVie is also designating up to $5 million in reserve funding for additional near-term commitments to help address the COVID-19 pandemic. The company will create the Community Resilience Fund, which will provide funding to organizations improving community resilience in under-resourced areas impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"AbbVie is making this donation to nonprofit partners that will have an immediate and significant positive impact in communities that have been hit hardest by this unprecedented crisis," said AbbVie CEO Richard A. Gonzalez.