Children’s Hospital Announces $5 Million Gift from Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

Will Fund New Centers for Treatment of Pediatric Obesity, AIDS and Rheumatic Disease

Monday, April 10, 2006

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ – Taking another step forward in the fight against childhood obesity, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and its Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital today announced the receipt of a $5 million gift from Bristol-Myers Squibb that will be used in part to address the growing problem.

The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than tripled since 1980. The latest data from the National Center for Health Statistics shows that among children and teens, 16 percent, or more than 9 million young people, are considered overweight.

The $5 million gift to The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital will create three new clinical centers. The first, The Bristol-Myers Squibb Pediatric Metabolism Center, addresses pediatric obesity and its related health consequences, and officially opens today.

The gift will also support two other centers now in development: The Center for Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Disease, which will focus on immune-system disorders including HIV/AIDs and life threatening allergies; and The Center for Children with Rheumatic Diseases, which will address conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

“Thanks to the generous support of Bristol-Myers Squibb, our children’s hospital will be in the forefront of the effort to prevent, treat and cure some of the most serious health threats facing children,” said Clifton R. Lacy, MD, president and CEO of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and its children’s hospital. “Our hospital is already at the leading edge of care for children. The establishment of these centers represents the next step forward.”

“Supporting these three pediatric centers that will treat serious illnesses in children is another way that we are living our mission of extending and enhancing human life,” said Peter R. Dolan, chief executive officer of Bristol-Myers Squibb. “Our focus on addressing areas of significant unmet medical need and the work being done by The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital in these areas complement each other. This is another positive step in our efforts to help patients prevail against serious disease.”

With top-rated doctors and specialized offerings that include cardiac surgery, neurosurgery and advanced cancer care, The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital has emerged as a major health resource for children and families across New Jersey.

“The support of Bristol-Myers Squibb will further advance our mission of healing,” said Daniel A. Notterman, M.D., physician-in-chief at the children’s hospital. “We thank Bristol-Myers Squibb for this gift, the result of which will be healthier futures for New Jersey ’s children and families.”

The announcement of the $5 million gift was accompanied by the official opening of The Bristol-Myers Squibb Pediatric Metabolism Center, a new clinical venue for children with weight problems and related disorders.

Obesity in children was relatively unheard of a little more than a generation ago, as were the diseases and health complications associated with it. Today, Type 2 diabetes, which is associated with obesity, accounts for up to 45 percent of all newly diagnosed diabetes in pediatric patients.

“When I trained in pediatrics, you never heard of Type 2 diabetes in children,” said Barbara Snyder, M.D., medical director of The Bristol-Myers Squibb Pediatric Metabolism Center. “Now, physicians are seeing high blood pressure, sleep apnea, breathing problems, and many more complications associated with obesity in children. Obesity is reaching near epidemic proportions in children and it calls for a new and comprehensive approach.”

Children are considered overweight when their body-mass index is at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex. There are many theories for the increase in overweight children, including less exercise, greater consumption of snack foods, and more meals eaten out, which tend to have higher calories and larger portions.

In response, the Center has created a 12-week program for overweight children three to 18 years old. A team made up of a pediatrician, dietitian, psychologist and exercise physiologist evaluates each child participating in the program and develops an individualized medical, nutritional, behavioral and exercise plan to help each child achieve a healthier weight.

More information about the program is available by calling (732) 418-8376.

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

New Jersey ’s largest and most comprehensive children’s hospital, The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital offers specialties including cardiology and cardiac surgery, solid organ transplants, trauma treatment, fetal surgery, hematology/oncology and neurosurgery in a family-centered environment. It is consistently among the top-rated children’s hospitals in America for patient satisfaction.

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