Grants Roundup: Drug Company McKesson Pledges $100 Million to Fight Opioid Abuse

McKesson, one of the nation’s largest drug distributors and the target of multiple lawsuits related to the opioid epidemic, pledged $100 million to create a new foundation that will combat drug abuse and addiction.

“We are deeply concerned by the impact the opioid epidemic is having on families and communities across our nation,” CEO John Hammergren said in an announcement.

The company said the money will be used for educating patients, caregivers, and providers; addressing policy issues; and increasing access to opioid-overdose medications.

McKesson is facing multiple lawsuits accusing it of fueling the epidemic of opioid abuse.

The company agreed a year ago to pay a $150 million fine to settle a federal investigation into its drug-distribution practices.

Here is other notable grant news compiled by The Chronicle:

Deerfield Management

$65 million to Ancora Innovation, a joint collaboration with Vanderbilt University to use the university’s life-sciences research to accelerate drug development. All of Ancora’s proceeds will be directed to the Deerfield Foundation.

Cisco

$50 million over five years to Destination: Home for its efforts to end chronic homelessness in Santa Clara County, Calif.

A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation

$15 million to Duke University to endow a scholarship and undergraduate program on leadership, service, business, and entrepreneurship at the Pratt School of Engineering.

Kendeda Fund

$5.3 million to Guns & America, a two-year project in 10 public newsrooms nationwide to expand investigative reporting on the role of guns in American life.

Global Health Innovative Technology Fund

$3.2 million to the University of Florida and its research partners in the United States and Japan to conduct human trials for a potential vaccine against malaria.

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

$2 million to the American Indian College Fund to continue its support for professional-development fellowships for American Indian faculty members who work at tribal colleges and universities, which are predominantly on reservations and in Alaska Native villages.

Barr Foundation

$1.2 million to the Conservation Law Foundation for a campaign to raise public awareness of climate-change threats to Boston’s waterfront and advocate for public access and environmentally sensitive construction in future real-estate development projects on Boston Harbor.

New Grant Opportunity

The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation is seeking proposals for nursing projects through its 2018 Hillman Emergent Innovation Program. The foundation will award up to four, one-year grants of $50,000 each to projects that address unmet nursing needs for vulnerable populations including racial and ethnic minorities, economically disadvantaged people, the LGBTQ community, homeless people, and rural areas. Applications are due April 30.

Send grant announcements to grants.editor@philanthropy.com.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy subscribers also have full access to GrantStation’s searchable database of grant opportunities. For more information, visit our grants page.