Healthy Skepticism Library item: 14016

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Jack A.
Europe's drug companies are better than those in US in making drugs accessible to poor countries.
BMJ 2008 Jun 21; 336:(7658):1396
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/336/7658/1396

Abstract:

Drug companies in Europe do more to make drugs available and affordable to the world’s poor countries than their counterparts in the United States or Japan, concludes a new type of assessment of company policies.

The Access to Medicines Index (www.atmindex.org), a Dutch foundation established by Wim Leereveld, a former marketing consultant to the drug industry, tries to strip away the public relations rhetoric to quantify and compare meaningful corporate contributions.

Top ranked is GlaxoSmithKline, the UK based company that has been involved in researching a range of new treatments for diseases in the developing world. It also offers “tiered” pricing to sell drugs at large discounts to low income countries.

Merck, which operates extensive drug donation programmes and is involved in researching treatments and vaccines for HIV, among other diseases, was the only US company ranked among the top seven.

Mr Leereveld believes that this transatlantic divide . . .

Keywords:
Publication Types: News MeSH Terms: Developing Countries* Drug Industry* Europe Pharmaceutical Preparations/supply & distribution* United States Substances: Pharmaceutical Preparations