As we’ve covered during the past several weeks, two major camera companies, Fujifilm and Canon, are deeply involved with the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic through their pharmaceutical and medical subsidiaries.
Now it looks like Fuji is taking their commitment and step further. Teaming up with none other than Microsoft founder Bill Gates’ Gates Foundation, Fuji’s subsidiary Diosynth Biotechnologies will begin production at their facility in Denmark as part of the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator led by the foundation.
Chief executive officer of Diosynth Biotechnologies Martin Meeson said of the project in a press release, “We are honored that Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies is able to use its resources to support COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator partners in their mission to improve health.”
Fuji’s drug Avigan is currently being tested as a potential candidate in the treatment of COVID-19. Nikkei reports that Biosynth’s Hillerod facility will focus specifically on providing treatment kits destined for low-income countries.
In case you’ve missed some of our previous COVID-19 coverage, we’ll help you catch up right quick. Fuji’s drug Avigan is in testing while Canon is working on rolling out testing kits. The economic impacts of this pandemic have many of the people in our field considering a change of career according to polling. And camera sales are reporting some of their lowest numbers ever. All in all, April 2020 was one of the wildest rides in some time for the photography industry and the world as a whole.
What do you think of Fuji’s part in the fight against COVID-19? Were you aware of the company’s many subsidiaries? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below if you like.
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[Nikkei]
