11.29.2007 - 09:00am ET

(CSRwire) NEW YORK - November 29, 2007 - Leading provider of healthcare products and services, Henry Schein, Inc., will provide critical consumable and clinical supplies to support AIDS vaccine research in the UK and Africa, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) announced today in advance of World AIDS Day. Donating $50,000 worth of products to IAVI's Human Core Immunology Lab in the UK over the course of a year, Henry Schein joins IAVI's active corporate philanthropy program, demonstrating how businesses can successfully leverage their core expertise in the area of social responsibility.

"We are pleased that Henry Schein has chosen to partner with IAVI and hope this is the beginning of an ongoing partnership. This generous contribution demonstrates concrete ways in which companies with little or no ties to AIDS vaccine development can contribute significantly to the front lines of AIDS research," said Seth Berkley, President and CEO of IAVI.

"We are delighted that Henry Schein Cares, our global social responsibility program, is able to contribute to the important work that IAVI is doing," said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman and CEO of Henry Schein, Inc. "We strive to support causes that are important to our customers—office-based healthcare providers around the world—and certainly AIDS vaccine research is a priority throughout the medical community."

IAVI researches and develops AIDS vaccine candidates and conducts HIV clinical trials and clinical research through partnerships with more than 40 academic, biotechnology, pharmaceutical and government institutions. Since its inception in 1996, IAVI and its partners have advanced six vaccine candidates into human trials in 11 countries. Donations from Henry Schein, Inc. will be used to support the immunological testing of blood samples shipped from field sites in Africa, where IAVI is currently conducting AIDS vaccine clinical trials in five countries.

Together with IAVI, businesses can help to further mobilize the political will and drive the scientific progress that is needed to blunt the AIDS pandemic. In addition to Henry Schein, Inc., BD, Continental Airlines, Google, Merck and Pfizer have all partnered with IAVI by providing financial support, scientific talent, equipment, logistical support and increased visibility for AIDS vaccine development.

About IAVI

The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) is a global not-for-profit organization whose mission is to ensure the development of safe, effective, accessible, preventive HIV vaccines for use throughout the world. Founded in 1996 and operational in 24 countries, IAVI and its network of collaborators research and develop vaccine candidates. IAVI's financial and in-kind supporters include the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, The John D. Evans Foundation, The New York Community Trust, the James B. Pendleton Charitable Trust, The Rockefeller Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; the Governments of Canada, Denmark, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the Basque Autonomous Government as well as the European Union; multilateral organizations such as The World Bank; corporate donors including BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), Continental Airlines, Google Inc., Henry Schein, Inc., Merck & Co., Inc. and Pfizer Inc; leading AIDS charities such as Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and Until There's A Cure Foundation; other private donors such as The Haas Trusts; and many generous individuals from around the world. For more information, see www.iavi.org.

About Henry Schein

Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq:HSIC), a Fortune 500(R) company, is the largest distributor of healthcare products and services to office-based practitioners in the combined North American and European markets. The Company is recognized for its excellent customer service and highly competitive prices. Henry Schein's four business groups - Dental, Medical, International and Technology - serve more than 500,000 customers worldwide, including dental practices and laboratories, physician practices and veterinary clinics, as well as government and other institutions.

The Company operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, which provides customers in more than 200 countries with a comprehensive selection of more than 70,000 national and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as over 100,000 additional products available to our customers as special-order items. Henry Schein also offers a wide range of innovative value-added practice solutions for healthcare professionals, such as ArubA(R), the Company's electronic catalog and ordering system. Its leading practice-management software solutions have been installed in more than 50,000 practices, including DENTRIX(R) and Easy Dental(R) for dental practices, MicroMD(R) for physician practices, and AVImark(R) for animal health clinics.

Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein employs nearly 12,000 people and has operations in 19 countries. The Company's sales reached a record $5.05 billion in 2006. For more information, visit the Henry Schein Web site at www.henryschein.com.

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