Performance by Technical Area

Lacks overarching access-to-medicine strategy; responsibility for access lies at board-level. AbbVie does not have an overarching access-to-medicine strategy, but shows evidence of some activities guided by access-related goals. For example, it conducts research to develop new medicines for neglected diseases, supported by its Executive Council on Neglected Tropical Diseases and its corporate responsibility commitments to access to medicine. The highest level of responsibility for access sits with a board-level committee. 

Financial access-related incentives in place for employees. AbbVie has financial incentives in place to motivate employees to perform on access-related issues. These incentives include awards based on access efforts.

Measures and monitors outcomes and progress; not impact. AbbVie measures and monitors progress and outcomes of access-to-medicine activities. It also publicly reports on commitments, objectives, targets and performance information. For example, for its Foundation’s partnership with Direct Relief International, AbbVie reports having established a data management and order tracking system to ensure effective monitoring of its HIV testing programmes in Least Developed Countries. However, it does not report measuring the impact of its initiatives.

Stakeholder engagement: incorporates local perspectives into strategies. AbbVie publicly discloses which stakeholder groups it engages with on access issues, but does not publicly share its process for selecting who to engage with, or its policy for ensuring responsible engagement. It does incorporate local stakeholder perspectives into the development of access strategies. 

Does not report processes for ensuring third-party compliance with standards. AbbVie has a code of conduct relating to ethical marketing and anti-corruption. It provides regular compliance training for employees. The company performs relatively poorly when it comes to enforcing compliance measures and non-sales incentives. It does not provide evidence of having formal processes in place to ensure compliance with standards by third parties. Further, its incentives for sales agents are based solely on sales targets.

Internal control framework lacks Index criteria. AbbVie's internal control framework for ensuring compliance meets one of the criteria looked for by the Index. This is an auditing and review mechanism, however, it does not report that this mechanism involves both internal and external resources, nor that it applies to all third parties in countries where AbbVie operates. The company does not report conducting fraud-specific risk assessments, nor does it demonstrate evidence of having a monitoring system in place to track compliance, or having procedures to segregate duties to ensure decisions are checked by another party.

Below average transparency regarding access-related practices. AbbVie does not publicly disclose policy positions that impact access to medicine. Neither does it disclose political contributions in countries in scope. AbbVie publicly discloses its financial support and membership of relevant organisations for access. It does not, however, publish its policies for responsible engagement. Neither does it publicly disclose its its policy approach to payments made to healthcare professionals in countries in scope.

Publicly commits to R&D to meet public health needs. AbbVie has publicly committed to R&D for diseases and countries in scope. Its R&D strategy for low- and middle-income countries is informed by an evidence-based public health rationale based on external guidance including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Further, it has time-bound strategies for completing R&D projects for diseases in scope and evaluates progress toward these targets. AbbVie has a mid-sized pipeline in the Index with 49 projects. For diseases in scope where priorities exist, AbbVie is active in 13 projects; 11 of these target priority R&D gaps.

Access provisions in place for 10% (2/21) of late-stage candidates. AbbVie has a general process in place to develop access plans during R&D. The process considers some R&D projects for diseases in scope, namely projects for neglected tropical diseases and tuberculosis. Information is publicly available on project-specific access provisions for two of AbbVie's late-stage R&D projects. Both projects are being conducted in partnership with the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV). 

No public disclosure of post-trial access policy. AbbVie does not have a publicly available policy for ensuring post-trial access to treatments for clinical trial participants, and it does not provide an internal policy that can be evaluated.