Press Release

São Paulo, BRAZIL – June 15, 2020 – Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced that the Vertex Foundation, a nonprofit charitable foundation, will donate R$55,000 BRL to ARCAH, an institution that promotes the reintegration of people experiencing homelessness into society, to support their COVID-19 Response Fund.

People experiencing homelessness across Brazil have been severely impacted by COVID-19. Reception centers, where social isolation is not possible, are facing increased demand for support with hygiene care and protective measures. About half of São Paulo’s population of people experiencing homelessness are living in reception centers. However, access to soaps, alcohol or sanitizing gels/wipes and face masks is limited.

This funding will allow ARCAH to purchase these critical protective resources for residents and reception centers’ healthcare workers from São Paulo. This donation is part of the Vertex Foundation’s $5 million global commitment to support the COVID-19 pandemic response, which also included double-matching employees’ charitable donations to eligible organizations providing front line response. The Foundation’s funds will help organizations that are providing emergency relief and assistance in the global communities where Vertex employees live and work, with a focus on providing health care and supplies and support for vulnerable populations.

“All donations received by ARCAH are being used for hygiene and protection items that have been distributed to more than 20 reception centers throughout the city of São Paulo. This has helped us to reduce contagion and preserve the health of people who are already at risk. On behalf of all reception centers benefiting from donations, we thank the Vertex Foundation,” says Rodrigo Leite, President and Co-founder of the organization ARCAH.

“At Vertex, we are committed to giving back to the local communities where we have a presence and therefore a responsibility to be an active member. During this time, the Vertex Foundation’s priority is to address the unprecedented needs resulting from COVID-19, particularly in hard-hit countries like ours,” said Fernando Afonso, Country Manager, Vertex Brazil. “The work of ARCAH in supporting the people of São Paulo who must live through this pandemic without the security of a permanent home is a testimony to the Brazilian spirit of courage and unity. Our deepest thanks and prayers go to all of those who are working on-the-ground to help vulnerable populations.”

About ARCAH

ARCAH is a civil society organization that promotes the reintegration of people experiencing homelessness into society by promoting socio-professional training and volunteering activities.

Since its foundation in 2012, ARCAH has carried out initiatives with the objective of understanding the challenges experienced by São Paulo's homeless population along with finding effective solutions to contribute to the resumption of their autonomy, self-esteem and confidence. Visit https://www.arcah.org/ to learn more.

About the Vertex Foundation

The Vertex Foundation is a nonprofit charitable foundation. It seeks to improve the lives of people with serious diseases and in its communities through education, innovation and health programs. Established in 2017, the Foundation is a long-term source of charitable giving and is part of Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ corporate giving commitment.

About Vertex

Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create medicines for people with serious diseases. The company has multiple approved medicines that treat cystic fibrosis (CF) — a rare, life- threatening genetic disease — and has several ongoing clinical and research programs in CF. Beyond CF, Vertex has a robust pipeline of investigational small molecule medicines in other serious diseases where it has deep insight into causal human biology, including pain, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and APOL1-mediated kidney diseases. In addition, Vertex has a rapidly expanding pipeline of genetic and cell therapies for diseases such as sickle cell disease, beta thalassemia, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Founded in 1989 in Cambridge, Mass., Vertex's global headquarters is now located in Boston's Innovation District and its international headquarters is in London, UK. Additionally, the company has research and development sites and commercial offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Latin America. Vertex is consistently recognized as one of the industry's top places to work, including 10 consecutive years on Science magazine's Top Employers list and top five on the 2019 Best Employers for Diversity list by Forbes.

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