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ESG Update: DCAT Member Companies in the Community 

The latest ESG (environmental, social and governance) news from DCAT Member Companies on how they are making an impact globally and in their local communities. Have a ESG news announcement to share for editorial consideration in DCAT Value Chain Insights? Click here to submit. 

Global Health 
* GSK Invests $8 Million in The Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria 
* J&J Pledges $5 Million to Africa Frontline First Catalytic Fund 
* Gilead, US Gov’t Partner for AIDS Relief
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
* Gilead Pledges $6.5 Million to STEM Education
* Takeda Grants $13.8 Million to Seven Nonprofits for STEM & Other Community Support 
* AbbVie, Girls Inc, SkinSpirit Inspire Women in STEM 
Sustainability 
* Thermo Fisher Launches Carbon Calculator 
* SK pharmteco Achieves My Green Lab Certification
* Bespak Receives SBTi Approval for Net-Zero & Near Term Targets 
Other Support 
* BMS Donates $1 Million to Patient Advocate Foundation 

Global Health 

GSK Invests $8 Million in The Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria 
GSK has invested £6 million ($8 million) in The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to strengthen community-led responses to HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria in lower-income countries. The commitment will be matched by the Gates Foundation, bringing this total investment in the Global Fund to £12 million ($16 million). 

Source: GSK 

J&J Pledges $5 Million to Africa Frontline First (AFF) Catalytic Fund 
The Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Foundation has announced a $5-million investment in the Africa Frontline First (AFF) Catalytic Fund, a fund hosted by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis & Malaria. The AFF Catalytic Fund is a joint initiative of Africa Frontline First, Africa CDC, = and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria with founding support from the Johnson & Johnson Foundation and the Skoll Foundation 

As an AFF Catalytic Fund founding supporter, the J&J Foundation’s total pledge has now increased to a total of $20 million for the training and deployment of 200,000 professional community health workers (CHWs) into national health systems across Africa. 

Since its launch in 2022, the AFF Catalytic Fund has leveraged global and domestic resources across the public and private sectors to pool $220 million to achieve impact. AFF Catalytic Fund investments have supported the recruitment, training, and integration of over 68,000 professional CHWs across eight priority countries, affecting 40 million people. 

Source: Johnson & Johnson 

Gilead, US Gov’t Partner for AIDS Relief 
Gilead Sciences has entered a partnership with the US State Department and the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to deliver lenacapavir, Gilead’s twice-yearly injectable HIV-1 capsid inhibitor, for the prevention of HIV as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).  

These agreements allow for the generic manufacturers to seek regulatory approvals for lenacapavir for PrEP and provide access in sufficient volumes to meet demand and generate competition to drive down costs. By the end of 2025, Gilead intends to complete regulatory submissions for lenacapavir for PrEP in 18 countries that represent approximately 70% of the HIV burden in the region covered by the voluntary license. The company will provide Gilead-supplied product at no profit until generic manufacturers are able to fully support demand in those countries—including through its strategic partnership agreements with PEPFAR and the Global Fund to supply lenacapavir for PrEP for up to two million people. 

In middle-income countries with a high burden of HIV that are not covered by Gilead’s voluntary licensing program and the agreement with the Global Fund, Gilead is pursuing multiple strategies to support access, including tiered pricing and public-private partnerships and is working with payers to establish fast, efficient pathways to access. 

Source: Gilead Sciences 

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)  

Gilead Pledges $6.5 Million to STEM Education   
Gilead Sciences has committed more than $6.5 million in grant funding toward strengthening science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education pathways in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.  

The funding, distributed through the Gilead Foundation, will build on the company’s ongoing work to cultivate a talent pipeline comprised of students from a broad spectrum of backgrounds and experiences. These donations represent an ongoing commitment to supporting organizations where Gilead employees live and work, including a $1-million grant to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and $500,000 to the San Mateo Foster City Education Foundation to build STEM curriculum. 

The Gilead Foundation’s grants will support organizations working to strengthen STEM learning opportunities for students from elementary school through college. Recent commitments include: 

  • A $1-million grant to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America to support STEM programs for elementary through high school students in eight sites across the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Maryland, Washington D.C., New Jersey, and North Carolina. 
  • A $500,000-grant to the San Mateo Foster City Education Foundation to support STEM education for elementary and middle school students in the San Mateo-Foster City School District. 
  • $5 million in grants to San Francisco State University to support the construction of its new Science and Engineering Innovation Center and student programming. 

Source: Gilead Sciences 

Takeda Grants $13.8 Million to Seven Nonprofits for STEM & Other Community Support 
Takeda has awarded $13.8 million in grants to seven nonprofit partner organizations in the US that are part of the company’s US Corporate Philanthropy Program, which aims to improve access to nutritious food and advance opportunities for engaging educational experiences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Takeda has contributed $67.9 million to these initiatives and other charitable causes since 2021. 

This year’s (2025) partner organizations include: 

  • Learn Fresh National – Launching its engaging, game-based STEM programs across greater Boston and looking to develop and expand its relationships with the area’s professional sports franchises. 
  • STEM Next Opportunity Fund National – Focuses on building math confidence and skills by expanding access to out-of-school STEM programs nationwide. 
  • Young People’s Project National – Grows capacity for math and STEM literacy across the country with its peer-based math literacy programs. 
  • Daily Table Massachusetts – Affordable nonprofit grocery store plans to add two new locations in greater Boston. 
  • Fresh Truck Massachusetts – Provides fresh, high-quality produce to neighborhoods in Boston via mobile markets, online order pick-up sites and community pop-up events. 
  • Food is Medicine Coalition National – Supports nonprofit organizations nationwide in delivering free medically tailored meals and nutrition services. 
  • The Food Group Minnesota – Creating a food ranking framework to promote healthy eating in diverse communities and sharing it with partners across the country. 

Source: Takeda 

AbbVie, Girls Inc, SkinSpirit Inspire Women in STEM 
Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company, has announced its continued partnership with Girls Inc. for the 7th year with programming and funding designed to foster mentorship and ensure girls have the tools and encouragement to succeed in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers with two key initiatives: the Allergan Medical Institute (AMI) Atlanta Training Center Experience and SkinSpirit Gives Campaign. 
 
Allergan Aesthetics is welcoming Girls Inc. of Atlanta participants for a special behind-the-scenes tour of the newly opened AMI Training Center in Atlanta. The visit will be followed by a private panel discussion with local women healthcare providers, who will share their personal career journeys and offer advice on navigating future opportunities. 
 
SkinSpirit Gives, SkinSpirit’s philanthropic arm, is joining forces with Allergan Aesthetics and Girls Inc. to help equip girls with the tools and programming to explore careers in STEM. SkinSpirit, a company specializing in medical aesthetics and skincare, will invite clients to donate directly to Girls Inc. from November 1 – November 15, 2025. All contributions will support STEM programming, mentorship, and career exploration opportunities for more than 120,000 girls at 75 affiliates across the US and Canada. 

Source: AbbVie 

Sustainability 
 
Thermo Fisher Launches Carbon Calculator 
The PPD clinical research business of Thermo Fisher Scientific has announced the launch of its Clinical Trial Carbon Calculator, which is designed to help bio/pharmaceutical companies and research sponsors estimate, understand, and reduce the environmental footprint of their clinical trials. 

The Carbon Calculator is an open-access tool that provides an evidence-based framework for assessing emissions across every phase of a study—from investigational product manufacturing and patient travel to lab sample processing and site operations. By quantifying each activity’s contribution to total emissions, the tool helps users: 

  • Identify high-impact “carbon hotspots;” 
  • Compare study designs for CO2 equivalent gases (CO2e) efficiency; and 
  • Implement strategies to lower emissions without compromising quality or compliance. 

Source: Thermo Fisher Scientific 

SK pharmteco Achieves My Green Lab Certification 
SK pharmteco, a CDMO of small-molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and cell and gene therapies, has earned four My Green Lab certifications, a global standard for laboratory sustainability, including two at the program’s highest level, Green. The remaining two labs earned Gold certification, reflecting advanced sustainability performance and progression toward full Green maturity. 

The certified facilities are Small Molecule Europe (Swords, Ireland) and Small Molecule Asia (Daejeon, South Korea), and the certifications cover the areas of quality control, process research & development, and analytical research & development. 

My Green Lab certification is widely regarded as the global standard for laboratory sustainability, recognized by the United Nations Race to Zero campaign in advancing decarbonization. Green certification is the program’s highest designation, reserved for laboratories that demonstrate exceptional, independently verified performance in reducing environmental impact while maintaining scientific excellence. Gold certification represents advanced performance and a clear progression toward Green.  

SK pharmteco began its process to achieve My Green Lab certifications in the fall of 2024, with a long-term goal of reaching the highest certification level by 2030. 

SK pharmteco’s pursuit of My Green Lab Certification directly supports its three-pronged sustainability strategy: Responsible Manufacturing through optimized lab practices, Decarbonizing Operations with enhanced energy efficiency, and Championing Waste-Less Innovation via robust waste reduction initiatives. 

Source: SK pharmteco 

Bespak Sets SBTi Approved Net-Zero & Near Term Targets 
Bespak, a CDMO of inhaled and nasal drug products and drug-delivery devices and components, has set approved net-zero and near-term company-wide emission reduction targets with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), an internationally recognized organization that supports companies in developing science-based climate goals. 

SBTi has validated Bespak’s Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets alongside its Scope 3 near- and long-term targets, which are based on an economic intensity reduction, with a near-term target of 2033 and long-term target of 2050. 

The SBTi has approved the following targets: 

  • Reduce absolute Scope 1 & 2 GHG emissions by 54.6% by 2033; 
  • Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions intensity by 61.1% by 2033; and 
  • Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions intensity by 97% by 2050. 

These targets were assessed and validated against the SBTi’s methodology and global net-zero frameworks. 

Source: Bespak 

Other Support 

BMS Donates $1 Million to Patient Advocate Foundation 
The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMS Foundation) has announced a $1-million donation to the Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF), a national 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that provides professional case-management services and financial assistance free of charge to patients in the US with chronic, life-threatening, and debilitating illnesses. The $1-million donation from the BMS Foundation will enable PAF to expand its nationally recognized case-management program.  

PAF case managers help patients and their families maintain access to prescribed healthcare services and medications, navigate insurance barriers, find resources to support cost-of-living expenses during treatment, evaluate and sustain health insurance coverage, apply for disability, and manage or reduce out-of-pocket medical and living expenses. In FY 2025, PAF’s case management provided direct support and intervention to 13,551 individuals, collectively living with 773 unique diseases, making 30 contacts per case to bring resolution and securing over $17 million in debt relief. 

Source: Bristol Myers Squibb