GSK, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca took the top three positions in the 2022 Access to Medicine Index (AtMI) ranking of top 20 pharmaceutical companies globally.
AstraZeneca’s top three position in the 2022 AtMI reflected the company’s leading work to strengthen global health systems, as well as increase equitable and affordable patient access to life-changing treatments.
A statement issued in Accra and copied to the Ghana News Agency quoted Mr Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer, AstraZeneca as saying:
“We believe it’s vital that everyone has access to affordable, sustainable, and innovative healthcare, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.”
He said the ranking reflected AstraZeneca’s strategic focus on improving access to medicines and to the crucial work with their partners to strengthen health system resilience.
AtMI is an independent ranking of 20 of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies and evaluates their impact on improving access to medicine in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
It focuses on three technical areas: Governance of Access; Research and Development(R&D); and Product Delivery.
He said AstraZeneca moved up from seventh to third position after performing well across all three technical areas.
The CEO said AstraZeneca was recognised by AtMI as the industry leader in Product Delivery, indicating that it was an application of tailored access strategies for different countries reflecting their income classifications across all product categories.
“The Company’s approach to patent transparency and sharing of intellectual property assets, using technology transfers, was also highlighted as key to ensuring continuous supply of medicines in LMICs,” he said.
He said AtMI recognised AstraZeneca’s local capacity building initiatives and use of inclusive business models aimed at meeting the access needs of populations at the base of the income pyramid.
AstraZeneca also performed well in the Governance of Access category reflecting robust compliance controls, and in R&D for its access plans for projects in Phase two or three of clinical development.
Ongoing company initiatives to support access to COVID-19 vaccines via manufacturing, procurement, and distribution agreements in the light of the pandemic were also recognised.
The Access to Medicine Index is the longest-running assessment of the pharmaceutical industry’s actions to improve access to medicine in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
It ranks the companies, tracks progress, identifies best practice, and demonstrates where action is urgently needed to improve access to medicine for some of the world’s most vulnerable populations.
