and improve outcomes. We will work within the current legal and pricing structures, as well as continue to review our pricing arrangements and contracting methods with payers, to maximize access to patients and minimize any adverse impact on our revenues.

We continue to be a constructive force in helping to shape healthcare policy and the appropriate regulation of our products. Although we cannot predict the outcome of U.S. healthcare reform initiatives, we remain committed and actively engaged in discussions to reform healthcare in a way that expands coverage for those currently uninsured; does not erode coverage for those currently insured; improves quality; rewards innovation; and provides value for patients. During the second quarter of 2009, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), of which we are a member, announced an $80 billion commitment over the next decade to support healthcare reform in the U.S. Among other things, that commitment includes reducing the cost of medicines for seniors and disabled Americans who are affected by the coverage gap in the Medicare prescription drug program. The PhRMA commitment is intended to be part of any federal healthcare reform legislation in the U.S.

We continue to aggressively defend our patent rights against increasingly aggressive infringement whenever appropriate (see Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Note 19. Legal Proceedings and Contingencies), and we will continue to support efforts that strengthen worldwide recognition of patent rights while taking necessary steps to ensure appropriate patient access. In addition, we will continue to employ innovative approaches to prevent counterfeit pharmaceuticals from entering the supply chain and to achieve greater control over the distribution of our products, and we will continue to participate in the generics market for our products, whenever appropriate, once they lose exclusivity.

We have evolved our Biopharmaceutical operations into smaller, more focused units to anticipate and respond more quickly to our customers’ and patients’ changing needs. With the formation of the Primary Care, Specialty Care, Established Products, Oncology and Emerging Markets units, we believe we can better manage our products’ growth and development from proof-of-concept throughout their entire time on the market; bring innovation to our “go to market” promotional and commercial strategies; develop ways to further enhance the value of mature products, including those close to losing their exclusivity; expand our already substantial presence in emerging markets; and create product-line extensions where feasible.

We continue to develop and deliver innovative medicines that will benefit patients around the world. We continue to make the investments that we believe are necessary to serve patients’ needs and to generate long-term growth. For example:

• We have reorganized our R&D organization, which now consists of two distinct groups; the PharmaTherapeutics Research & Development group, which focuses on the discovery of small molecules and related modalities and; the BioTherapeutics Research & Development group, which focuses on