Medical School gets $10 million

The School of Medicine is slated to receive a $10 million donation from GlaxoSmithKline, a global research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare company, University officials announced today. The gift is an unrestricted one, meaning that Penn can use it in any way it chooses. According to Health System spokesperson Rebecca Harmon, the Medical School has yet to determine exactly where the funding will be concentrated. "I'm sure we will be using it to further Penn Medicine's research initiatives," Harmon said. "Probably in the areas that are most closely aligned with our strategic initiatives." Such areas include cancer, cardiovascular and genetics studies. "It really will be useful to support translational research activities here at Penn," Harmon added. Such projects include combining efforts between researchers and clinicians to develop new therapies and treatment programs. Representatives of GlaxoSmithKline, which has local research and development facilities in Philadelphia, Upper Merion and Upper Providence, said that the grant is an attempt to support local institutions that hold research in as high regard as it does. "We have a couple of our largest [research and development] facilities in the Delaware Valley, and we are being good neighbors of Penn, if you will," said the company's spokesperson Rick Koenig. "We work to be good citizens and support institutions situated in the same community." Although GlaxoSmithKline collaborates with 378 universities in the United States, Koenig said Penn's Medical School, currently ranked fourth nationwide by U.S. News and World Report, was chosen for its reputation as a school that is committed to research. "We do work in collaboration and support any university researchers," Koenig said. "In this instance, for a grant of this size, we were very keen to support Penn because it is a premier research institution." According to Koenig, the company does not regularly give grants of this magnitude. "It is fair to say that within the context of all the work we do, this is a very sizable grant," Koenig said. "This reflects the regard in which we hold the research community at Penn." Koenig said GlaxoSmithKline seeks out university researchers because of the wide-ranging impact they have on the community at large. "We like to think we have our fair share of many of the most talented researchers in their field; however, we know there is a lot of talent outside our own company," he said. GlaxoSmithKline holds 7 percent of the world pharmaceutical market, specializing in research surrounding anti-infectives and the respiratory, gastrointestinal and central nervous systems. In addition to research, the company markets prescription medication for such ailments as asthma, depression and heart conditions. Harmon said that the Medical School's administrators and faculty members are "very thankful... for this generous, unrestricted gift." The $10 million donation follows the University's December announcement that Penn Medicine, the governing body for the Health System, would terminate a $100 million grant agreement with the Philadelphia Health Care Trust.