Report spotlights drug firms' supply chain initiatives, hurdles in LMICs

Liana Matt McLernon of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) writes about the supply chain and manufacturing initiatives assessed in the 2021 Access to Medicine Index and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on supply chains, noting that access plans are still to be widely implemented.

Liana compares the breakdown of the current manufacturing and supply chain initiatives with 2018's Index data and particularly focuses on how many of them meet the Good Practice Standards (GPS), part of the Foundation's methodology. She points to the lack of both wider availability of products and last-mile supply efforts in spite of the evident signs of progress in these areas.

Furthermore, the article dives deep into the disruptions of the pandemic to the supply chain, describing the mitigation measures eight companies, with AstraZeneca standing out, have adopted to maintain accessibility to treatments.

Read the full article here.