GSK tops 'Access to Medicine Index'

Published every two years, the Index ranks the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies according to the work they do for people in developing countries who do not have reliable and safe access to medicines and vaccinations.

Companies are judged on their performance in the following areas: General access to medicine management; Public policy & market influence; R&D; Pricing, manufacturing & distribution; Patents & licensing; Capability advancement in product development and distribution; Product donations & philanthropic activities.

“After sharpening what and how we measure, we are now able to draw a much clearer picture of the industry’s strengths

Index CEO Wim Leereveld

In this year’s Index, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) tops the poll via its “innovative business model focused on Africa, a large relevant portfolio, a large share of its pipeline dedicated to relevant diseases, and numerous access-oriented intellectual property sharing partnerships”.

Making the most headway, Danish drug products firm Novo Nordisk climbed four places to second overall, largely because of its access activities, the Access to Medicine Foundation said.

“After sharpening what and how we measure, we are now able to draw a much clearer picture of the industry’s strengths, weaknesses, progress and struggles, and what it takes to be a leader in access to medicine,” said Wim Leereveld, chief executive officer of the Access to Medicine Index.

“No company is in the top five in all areas we analyse, but the leaders tend to perform well across most of them, even though they differ in their focus. Top performers innovate constantly, and usually have to innovate in several areas to maintain their position,” Leereveld said.

Research & Development (R&D) is considered one the most crucial elements of enhancing access to medicine, however Index figures reveal that just five of the 20 companies surveyed (see image) develop 54% of the latest 327 pharmaceutical products, while more than half of these are targeted at just five diseases, including: malaria, HIV, diabetes, lower respiratory infections and hepatitis.

Though performance has largely been positive, the Index found that 18 of the 20 companies surveyed had been the subject of breaches in ethical marketing, bribery or corruption.

Most recently, allegations of corrupt practices were made against GSK’s China business, however its final score was not affected by this event.