A research programme by the Access to Medicine Foundation
The foundation

Access to Medicine Foundation

The Foundation stimulates and guides pharmaceutical companies to do more to improve access to medicine. It is an independent non-profit organisation.
Our programmes

Access to Medicine Index

Ranks 20 of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies based on their efforts to address access to medicine, including in strategy, governance, R&D and pricing. By publicly recognising the best performers, the Index spurs companies to compete to be the best.

Antimicrobial Resistance Benchmark

Tracks what the 30 most active companies in antimicrobial R&D and manufacturing are doing to bring antimicrobial resistance under control. By assessing the level of action, it provides a reality check on progress against AMR.

Access to Vaccines Index

Reports what vaccine companies are doing to ensure all children can be immunised wherever they live. By uncovering what is working and where, this Index helps ensure vaccine markets also reach the poorest and most remote communities.
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Best practices

Which best practices are pharma companies putting into action?

The 2021 Access to Medicine Index identified 23 best practices for improving access to medicine. You can use this research as a jumping-off point for putting these practices to use and for connecting with the people and organisations involved.

23 Best Practices

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Medicine donations for neglected tropical diseases

5 companies
Product donations to continue until neglected tropical diseases are eliminated or controlled

Promoting access: Senior staff incentives for access strategy effectiveness

4 companies
Companies promote and reward the effective delivery of initiatives that improve access to medicine

Tailored strategy to reach more patients in sub-Saharan Africa

Novartis AG
Novartis is the only company to explicitly tailor an access-to-medicine strategy to countries facing a high burden of disease.

Evaluating the long-term effects of access initiatives on healthcare systems and patients

5 companies

Compliance controls against corruption

8 companies
Corrupt activities in low- and middle-income markets risk progress toward meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and Universal Health Coverage 

Equipping health systems for the fight against non-communicable diseases

AstraZeneca plc

Full on-patent portfolio for HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis now under voluntary licences

Gilead Sciences Inc.
With the most non-exclusive voluntary licences for patented products, Gilead has licensed its entire patented portfolio for HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis (HBV/HCV)

Initiative against stroke expands to 38 countries

Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH

Extensive initiative to improve child healthcare

GlaxoSmithKline plc

Fight Against Stigma programme breaks barriers to mental health care

Sanofi
With initiatives in eight countries in scope of the Index, Sanofi works to change attitudes and practices on mental health.

Leadership development to improve cervical cancer prevention and care

Roche Holding AG

Rapid reporting of substandard and falsified medicines

6 companies
One in every 10 medicinal products in low- and middle-income countries is substandard or falsified.

Reducing HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women in South Africa

Johnson & Johnson

Industry shift toward systematic access planning during R&D

8 companies
More pharmaceutical companies are mainstreaming and integrating access planning into their R&D pipelines.

Planning ahead for access to the dengue vaccine

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

HIV treatment supplied at cost price to public HIV and international donor programmes

GlaxoSmithKline plc
GSK and ViiV Healthcare improve patient access to a first-line HIV/AIDS therapy

Clinical trial participants retain access to investigational treatments

Novartis AG
Novartis exemplifies a comprehensive approach to post-trial access to investigational medicines

GSK reinforces access to a paediatric HIV medicine

GlaxoSmithKline plc
GSK expands access to dolutegravir via 15 voluntary licences.

Equipping and training local institutions and scientists

Merck KGaA (Merck), Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

Income-tailored pricing for a healthcare practitioner-administered cancer medicine

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.
Takeda's income-tailored approach in Thailand considers affordability for people at all income levels

Affordability 'mindset' applied to diverse health products

Novartis AG

Increasing patient access to TB and HIV/AIDS treatments

Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson targets sub-Saharan Africa and Least Developed Countries to bolster access  

Income-tailored solutions for two self-administered cancer treatments

Pfizer Inc.
Pfizer offers income-tailored solutions for access to two oncology medicines in India, Mexico and the Philippines.

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