Amid pressure on the pharmaceuticals industry to do more, GlaxoSmithKline in 2009 agreed to slash drug costs for poor countries.
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Novartis said the portfolio will deal with cardiovascular illnesses, diabetes, respiratory sicknesses and breast most cancers and can be offered to non-governmental organizations, governments, and amongst different public-sector healthcare suppliers for $1/remedy, month-to-month. Also included in the list are generic medications like tamoxifen which is used to fight breast cancer.
Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis AG has initiated a program that will supply cheap medicine in three countries across the world: Ethiopia, Kenya and Vietnam.
In the midst of widespread criticism of pharma companies on drug pricing, some companies such as Novartis, Roche, and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) are pushing efforts devoted to supplying low-priced drugs to developing countries. In a fact sheet about the new program, Novartis stated that donations are important “but not scalable enough to make a lasting impact”.
“This programme takes a novel approach to addressing the rising tide of chronic diseases in parts of the world where people often have limited access to healthcare”, said Joerg Reinhardt, Chairman of the Novartis board. That means if all goes well, patients in these nations could reap the benefits of deeply discounted wholesale rates for the rest of their lives. “We know we will need to keep an open mind set and learn as we progress on this journey”.
Studies indicate that approximately 28 million people die from chronic disease in these countries every single year; and more importantly this number represents 75 of the global deaths within this demographic.
Novartis is launching Novartis Access to coincide with the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit 2015, where the new Sustainable Development Goals will be adopted.
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Poor healthcare infrastructure and little education about disease, as well as cost, are among the obstacles many people in developing countries face in gaining access to advanced drugs.
