• Home
• Responsibility
• Corperate Responsibility at GSK
• Stakeholder engagement
• Engagement on access to medicines

Corporate Responsibility Report 2008

Engagement on access to medicines

Engagement on issues relating to access to medicines during 2008 is described in the Access to medicines section.

As well as the engagement during 2008, GSK conducted three formal stakeholder discussions during 2007 to get feedback on our approach to different issues relating to access to medicines . We engaged with influential individuals and organisations with expertise in this area, including NGOs, government representatives, journalists, academics, investors and industry organisations.

The topics covered were:

• Increasing access to HIV/AIDS medicines in developing countries
• Expanding R&D into diseases of the developing world
• Increasing access to medicines in middle-income countries

While we do not necessarily agree with all the comments made by participants, these sessions provided valuable feedback on our approach.

Feedback on GSK’s approach in developing countries
Participants felt that GSK has a moral responsibility to make its products accessible to poor people and that access to medicines is also important to GSK’s long-term business sustainability.

It was felt that GSK’s approach to increasing access in developing countries (R&D, preferential pricing and voluntary licensing) is appropriate, although participants would like GSK to invest more in R&D into diseases of the developing world and do more to remove obstacles to the supply of generic medicines in these countries.

Participants urged GSK to collaborate more with other pharmaceutical companies to address access issues in developing countries. It was felt that an industry-wide approach could help to address issues more quickly and effectively.

Feedback on GSK’s approach in middle-income countries,
Participants emphasised the importance of increasing access to medicines in middle-income countries (MICs) where there are still large numbers of very poor people. They encouraged GSK not to treat MICs as we would high-income countries.

Participants felt that GSK does not have a clear strategy on access in MICs. They would like GSK to be clearer on its approach and objectives; in particular they would like to know if we regard MICs as significant commercial markets.

It was pointed out that chronic diseases are a growing problem in MICs. It was suggested that GSK take a broad approach to access that encompasses all its medicines, not just those for high-profile diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB.

Read about the findings from these session in more detail.

• Back to top