Pharmaceutical Firms Step Up Access Plans but Healthcare Gaps Persist, Report Finds

The article highlights that pharmaceutical companies are increasingly incorporating access to medicine into their product development strategies and corporate business strategies, but that progress is insufficient in keeping up with growing demand for medicine in low- and middle-income countries. 

Jayasree K. Iyer, CEO of the Access to Medicine Foundation, is quoted: "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." 

The Foundation's Director of Research, Claudia Martínez, is also quoted: “The 2026 Index shows some important shifts in how companies are approaching access. We’re seeing more sustainable models for reaching patients, important product approvals, promising innovations in the pipeline and new licensing agreements. But these efforts are still concentrated among too few companies, products and diseases.