First Access to Medicine Index grabs headlines worldwide

HAARLEM, THE NETHERLANDS (June 25, 2008) – General and specialized news media all over the globe have reported the release of the first Access to Medicine Index on June 16, 2008.

Among the many newspapers and general websites covering the Index were the Financial Times, the International Herald Tribune, the New York Times (U.S.), The Guardian (U.K.), Le Monde (France), the Financial Express (India), and De Volkskrant (Netherlands).

The first Access to Medicine Index was also covered widely in media dedicated to responsible investing (e.g. Ethical Investor), the pharmaceutical industry (e.g. Pharmalive.com, Redorbit.com), research (e.g. Science, British Medical Journal), and global development (e.g. SciDevNet, OxfamNovib).

Most of the stories focused on the company rankings, the Index methodology or the general importance of making more drugs, vaccines and diagnostics available to people in low-income countries.

“The Access to Medicine Foundation is very pleased with the extensive media coverage the Index has received,” said Wim Leereveld, the Foundation’s Chair, “since reports on the new Index have also brought wider attention to the broader issue of increasing global access to medicine.”

Comments and feedback

The release of the first Access to Medicine Index has elicited comments from various stakeholders, the vast majority of them very positive. Among the organizations that have commented in news stories, statements or letters were Oxfam, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA), Health Action International and a few individual pharmaceutical companies. The Access to Medicine Foundation very much welcomes all feedback.

As a first response, the Foundation wishes to reiterate that the main criteria of the Index and their respective weightings were established after extensive consultations with many stakeholders, including representatives from governments, investors, NGOs and the pharmaceutical industry. Based on this dialogue, the overall Index gives more weight to long-term R&D or pricing policies than to philanthropic projects, for example. Only a small number of companies and stakeholders declined to participate fully in the engagement process prior to the launch of the Index.

The Foundation has set up structures and procedures through which the Index methodology will be reviewed each year. A soon to be formed Index Executive Committee will ensure that the Index remains responsive to and consistent with market expectations and global developments by systematically collecting feedback from stakeholders and making appropriate adjustments. The Committee’s membership will reflect the full range of stakeholders and will have knowledge of and/or experience in the area of increasing global access to medicine.

The Access to Medicine Foundation is delighted to see that ever more stakeholders appear to be ready to join the discussion. The Foundation is looking forward to engaging all of them to further strengthen the Access to Medicine Index, and to increase global access to medicine by providing maximal transparency on efforts by many in the industry to join the endeavor.

Link: The Index in the Media