Drug companies drive U.S. 2010 corporate philanthropy

Drug companies helped drive an almost 18 percent increase in corporate philanthropy last year as they gave away medicine to poor Americans still struggling in a rough economy, a survey found on Thursday.

The Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy poll of 110 companies found they gave $13 billion in cash and products last year as the United States began to emerge from recession.

While 40 percent of the 110 companies — polled annually for the past four years — boosted their giving last year by more than 10 percent, another 17 percent decreased their giving by more than 10 percent compared to 2009.