Novartis Tops 2024 Access to Medicine Index, Dethroning GSK After 16 Years, But Major Access Gaps Remain

The article outlines the main insights from the 2024 Index, noting that while there has been some progress made by the pharma companies, the full potential for enhancing access to essential healthcare products remains largely unrealised. It then covers the three Key Findings from the 2024 Index: 

• Several pharma companies are prioritising LMICs in their inclusive business models, committing to deliver a broad range of medicines, yet implementation remains limited and often overlooks the poorest countries.

• There is a concerning lack of representation of LMICs in clinical trials, with only 43% of trials occurring in these regions, despite them being home to 80% of the global population. As a result, the development of medicines tailored to the needs of LMIC populations is significantly hindered.

• Voluntary licensing holds great potential for increasing the local availability of medicines. However, only two new non-exclusive voluntary licensing (NEVL) agreements were identified during the period of analysis for the 2024 Index.

The article quotes Claudia Martínez, the Director of Research at the Access to Medicine Foundation: “The potential to address access gaps remains unfulfilled. Far too many people are still being left behind.”