Novartis has secured the top spot in the 2024 Access to Medicine Index (ATMI), highlighting the company’s leadership in enhancing global access to medicines.
The Access to Medicine Index, published biennially, is an independent report that evaluates the efforts of 20 of the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical companies in improving access to medicines, vaccines, and diagnostics for 81 diseases across 113 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
The report specifically commends Novartis for its leading portfolio and pipeline targeting non-communicable diseases and high-burden diseases such as malaria, Chagas disease, and dengue. It also highlights the company’s extensive access strategies for its late-stage pipeline candidates. Notably, half of the best practices mentioned in the report are attributed to Novartis.
Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis, commented: “Our ranking in the 2024 Access to Medicine Index reflects our deep commitment to ensuring that breakthrough medicines reach those in need, regardless of their location. Access to medicine has always been a priority for us, and we continue to integrate it into the early stages of our R&D pipeline. As a physician scientist who began my career in public health, I’ve seen the profound impact companies like ours can have in delivering treatment. While more work is needed across the industry to bridge the access gap, this recognition is a result of the dedication of our 70,000+ associates and partners working to reimagine medicine and improve patients’ lives globally.”
In 2023, Novartis medicines reached 284 million patients worldwide, with 33.2 million benefiting from the company’s access initiatives. The report underscores how Novartis’ access strategies contribute to this success, including:
- Comprehensive access-to-medicine strategies embedded into the company’s overall goals, with access plans in place for all priority late-stage pipeline candidates
- Extensive registration of innovative products in LMICs and a commitment to an inclusive business model to improve access in low-income and least-developed countries
- Best practices for malaria access, including a novel ganaplacide/lumefantrine-SDF combination for both adults and children in Phase III trials, in partnership with Medicine for Malaria Venture (MMV)
- Collaboration with the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) on a Phase II clinical trial for an oral treatment for visceral leishmaniasis in Ethiopia
Lutz Hegemann, President of Global Health at Novartis, added: “Ensuring broad, inclusive access to medical innovation is central to how we maximize our positive impact as a sustainable business. While this ranking reflects the progress we’ve made, we know there is more work to do, and we remain committed to partnering with others to ensure every innovation we create is accessible to those in need.
