GSK ranked first among global pharmaceuticals

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has been ranked first among global pharmaceuticals companies assessed for their efforts to improve access to medicine in developing countries, in the 2012 Access to Medicine (ATM) Index released recently by the Access to Medicine Foundation.

An independent initiative, the Access to Medicine Index ranks the world’s 20 largest companies according to their efforts to make their products more available, affordable and accessible in developing countries, highlighting policy and practice that either facilitate or hinder access to medicine.

The Index, which is published every two years, gave GSK a score of 3.8 out of a possible maximum of five, following an in-depth evaluation of company activities in seven areas considered to be key to enhancing access to medicine in developing countries -- drug donation and philanthropy, capability advancement, patents and licensing, equitable pricing, research and development, public policy, and general access to medicines management.

GlaxoSmithKline led the field in four out of the seven key areas and was in the top three in others, enabling the company to retain its position at the top of the index for the third successive time.

The Index covers 20 companies, 103 countries, and a broad range of products such as drugs, vaccines, diagnostic tests and other health-related technologies necessary for preventing, diagnosing and treating disease. A total of 33 diseases are covered, and the disease scope this year included maternal conditions and neonatal infections.

Within the seven areas on which companies are scored, the Index analyses 101 indicators to assess the level of commitment the company demonstrates, how transparent it is about what it is doing, what specific activities it is engaged in and how innovative its approach is.

In its report for 2012, the Netherlands headquartered not-for-profit Access to Medicine Foundation reported that “With visible leadership from the top, GlaxoSmithKline continues to outperform the field, with consistent good practice relative to peers across all areas. “It is transparent about its activities and is the most innovative company in terms of the way in which it manages access to medicine and approaches research and development and building capability in developing countries.”

Commenting on this globally significant accolade, Stuart Chapman, Managing Director of GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Sri Lanka said: “Although access to medicine is a basic social right, it is estimated that more than a billion people do not have access to the medicine they need.

“That is why improving access to medicine has been at the core of GSK’s overall strategy, particularly under the leadership of CEO Sir Andrew Witty.”