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.
Type search term(s) and press enter
Often searched for
Index Ranking Vacancies 10-year analysis R&D pipelines AMR antibiotics Investors

Results

The 2018 Access to Medicine Index analyses the actions of 20 pharmaceutical companies across 69 metrics in 106 low- and middle-income countries and for 77 diseases, conditions and pathogens. Here you find the three key findings from 2018 and a selection of leading graphics from the full report.

All Key Finding Leading graphics

Key Finding

Five companies are carrying out 63% of the most urgently needed R&D projects

Most priority R&D projects (63%) are being conducted by five companies: GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Merck KGaA, Novartis and Sanofi. The global health community has identified specific medicines, vaccines, diagnostic tests or other products that are need...

Learn more

Key Finding

Majority of key on-patent products have access initiatives, but these are limited in reach

From the 20 companies evaluated, the Index has identified 53 products that are critical candidates for companies’ access initiatives. The Index uses four criteria: being on-patent, being a firstline therapy, and being designated as an essential medic...

Learn more

Key Finding

Access initiatives for cancer products focus on pricing, mainly for small populations

Cancer is taking an increasing toll in low- and middle- income countries, where more than half of deaths due to cancer now occur. The Index examines company efforts to increase access to cancer products for the first time this yea...

Learn more

Leading graphics

Priority R&D: are the most urgently needed new products being developed?

Globally, two billion people cannot access the medicines they need, with millions in low- and middle-income countries dying each year from diseases because the vaccines, medicines and diagnostic tests that they need are either ineffective or complete...

Learn more

Leading graphics

On-patent products: how do pharmaceutical companies use pricing, licensing and donations to improve access to key medicines?

Low- and middle-income countries are home to the majority of the world’s poorest people. Whether medicines, vaccines and other products reach the people who need them in these countries depends on the choices companies make when making them available...

Learn more

Leading graphics

Gap analysis: which diseases have treatments on the market or promise in the pipeline?

When pharmaceutical companies take action to improve access to medicine, it has the largest impact on their own products. The Access to Medicine Index has identified which products those are – as well as future products still in development – for 20...

Learn more

Leading graphics

Access planning: How do pharmaceutical companies plan to make new products quickly accessible after launch?

New medicines and other life-saving products must be made rapidly available to patients who need them, wherever they live. This requires advance planning by the pharmaceutical companies developing the products. 

Learn more

Leading graphics

Product registration: Which markets do pharmaceutical companies target?

A product can only be marketed in a country once it is registered for sale. Which means pharmaceutical companies must apply for registration as rapidly as possible – particularly if a product is innovative or superior to those already on the market –...

Learn more

Leading graphics

Patents: Do companies license products on terms that facilitate access?

How companies manage their intellectual property (IP) impacts the availability and affordability of medicines, most significantly when they facilitate generic medicine manufacturers in bringing cheaper versions into new markets.

Learn more

Learn more

View our detailed overview of each company’s performance in the Index, including breakdowns of their product portfolios and R&D pipelines.

Back to top |