Global report exposes gaps in access to essential medicines in developing countries

The article notes that while access is increasingly being integrated into product development and corporate strategies, significant barriers related to affordability, availability and healthcare delivery continue to limit patient access. 

The article highlights several findings from the Index, including the growing coverage of late-stage pipeline candidates by access plans, but also uneven progress across therapeutic areas and income groups. It draws particular attention to gaps in access to cancer and diabetes treatments, including the limited availability of newer GLP-1 medicines and persistent barriers to insulin access. It also covers the expansion of inclusive business models, while noting that limited product- and country-level reporting makes it difficult to assess their reach. The article further outlines the Index’s findings on the growing integration of access into pharmaceutical companies’ business strategies over the past two decades, and the need to translate this progress into broader and more measurable improvements in patient access. 

Access to Medicine Foundation CEO Jayasree K. Iyer is quoted reflecting on the progress made over the past two decades: “Twenty years of progress have put us in a stronger position than ever to tackle persistent gaps in access. The Index has shown what works, companies have more tools at their disposal and access is increasingly being considered earlier. The opportunity now is to build on that foundation and reach many more people." 

Director of Research Claudia Martínez also emphasises that promising approaches—including sustainable access models, product approvals and licensing agreements—remain concentrated among too few companies, products and disease areas, calling for broader implementation. "The challenge now is to take what works further and faster, and see these approaches adopted much more widely across the industry," she notes.