WASHINGTON, May 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MedImmune, Inc.
(Nasdaq: MEDI) has awarded six pediatric fellows a portion of its $210,000
pediatric research grant, in the amount of $35,000 each. The grants were
provided by MedImmune's Pediatric Fellowship Program, which is designed to
stimulate increased interest and research in the area of respiratory
pathogens. The six recipients were announced on Sunday, May 15 at a reception
coinciding with the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in
Washington, D.C.
"This fellowship program supports pediatric specialists and researchers
who are committed to developing new understandings that may one day help
protect all of us against potentially severe illnesses caused by respiratory
pathogens," said Alan H. Cohen, M.D., FAAP, FCCP, Senior Director of Medical
Affairs at MedImmune, Inc. "Pathogens such as respiratory syncytial virus
(RSV), influenza and other respiratory viruses and bacteria have a significant
impact on health care expenditures and the well being of children and adults
in the United States."
An independent advisory board consisting of 15 pediatric infectious
disease physicians from across the country selected the six fellowship
recipients. All candidates were required to be full-time fellows in an
American Board of Pediatrics-accredited fellowship program and conducting
original research as their primary focus.
"Each of the applicants and their mentors were of the highest caliber,
which made final selection a challenging task," added Dr. Cohen. "The company
is honored to fund the pediatric fellowship program and we hope to do so in
coming years."
The six recipients of the pediatric fellowship grants included the
following: Agnes Banquet, M.D., New York Medical Center; Alex Daneshmand,
D.O., University of Florida; Mercedes Judkins, M.D., Vanderbilt University
Medical Center; Christopher Keefer, M.D., Vanderbilt University School of
Medicine; Swati Kumar, M.D., State University of New York Downstate Medical
Center; and Jon Roberts, M.D., Winthrop-University Hospital. The grant may be
used to help supplement fellowship salaries or research project costs.
MedImmune funded the fellowship program for the past two years and expects to
continue funding the program in 2006. MedImmune's Pediatric Fellowship
Program is one example of the company's broader, ongoing commitment to
research and pediatric health. To date, MedImmune has invested more than $1
billion in research funds to develop new and next-generation medicines against
respiratory viruses such as RSV and influenza.
About MedImmune, Inc.
MedImmune strives to provide better medicines to patients, new medical
options for physicians, rewarding careers to employees, and increased value to
shareholders. Dedicated to advancing science and medicine to help people live
better lives, the company is focused on the areas of infectious diseases,
cancer and inflammatory diseases. With approximately 2,000 employees
worldwide, MedImmune is headquartered in Maryland. For more information,
visit the company's website at http://www.medimmune.com.
SOURCE MedImmune, Inc.
CONTACT:
Clarencia Stephen
MedImmune, Inc.
+1-301-398-4073