Pharma not doing enough to improve medicines access, report finds

The article begins by reflecting the findings of the index, urging pharmaceutical companies to accelerate their efforts to ensure that medicines reach the underserved populations in LMICs. It stresses the need for greater focus on research and development (R&D), particularly given the concerning underrepresentation of resource-poor populations in clinical trials. It also notes that, while an increasing number of companies are adopting Inclusive Business Models (IBMs), the outcomes of these models are mixed. It is therefore vital that companies adopting IBMs transparently report the progress in implementing these models, particularly the number of patients reached.

 “Companies will have to take the ownership if they’re serious about health equity and … want to be known, and want to attract talent in their own companies and be an impactful industry in that sense,” the article quotes Jayasree, CEO of the Access to Medicine Foundation, “You can’t sit back and just wait on that.”

The article also highlights the 2024 Index’s new company rankings, with Novartis risen to claim the top spot, while noting that despite some progress made, there has been a noticeable stagnation in pharma companies’ efforts to improve access to their essential healthcare products across LMICs.