The pharmaceutical industry has substantially increased access planning for late-stage therapies compared to 2018 levels, with oncology products seeing particularly notable gains. Nonprofit partnerships serve as a primary catalyst, drastically raising the likelihood that an experimental candidate includes an explicit distribution strategy. Even so, many strategies for non-communicable diseases remain limited in scope. Specifically, 43% of access plans for conditions such as mental health, diabetes, and sickle cell disease focus solely on regulatory registrations in wealthy nations.
Key points
Pharmaceutical manufacturers are increasingly planning global distribution strategies pri…: Pharmaceutical manufacturers are increasingly planning global distribution strategies prior to the commercial launch of new treatments.
Alliance with nonprofit organizations significantly increases the likelihood that a late-…: Alliance with nonprofit organizations significantly increases the likelihood that a late-stage drug candidate will feature an access plan.
Access initiatives for non-communicable diseases remain insufficient because many plans f…: Access initiatives for non-communicable diseases remain insufficient because many plans focus exclusively on regulatory filings in wealthy nations.
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Many large pharmaceutical companies are taking steps to improve access to their medicines in low- and middle-income countries, but progress has been mixed and more action is needed to ensure wide availability, a new analysis found.
Notably, more drugmakers are planning to reach patients before a product launch — access plans now cover 69% of late-stage pipeline candidates compared with 18% in 2018. And across the pipeline, 95% of late-stage experimental drugs developed with a nonprofit partner have an access plan in place, versus 67% without such a partner.
Another bright spot involves cancer treatments. Access plans now cover 65% of cancer drugs in product pipelines, up from 5% in 2018. But 43% of access plans for non-communicable diseases — specifically, sickle cell disease, diabetes, and mental health — focus solely on regulatory registrations and primarily in wealthy countries.
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