Access
Our ambition is to positively impact the health of 2.5 billion people by the end of 2030 by making our medicines and vaccines available as widely as possible. We will do this through responsible pricing, strategic access programmes and partnerships.
Putting the right value on innovation
We have a clear commitment to make a real impact on human health and have an industry-leading track record on access to reach patients. Getting the balance right between responsible pricing and sustainable business is fundamental.
We develop pricing strategies based on country-specific circumstances and recognise the need to balance health budgets. In high-income countries, we apply a value-based approach to balance reward for innovation with affordability and price our medicines according to the benefit we bring to patients and health systems, measured by clinical, economic and social outcomes.
In lower income countries, we use innovative pricing structures as part of our access strategies to extend product reach, including tiered pricing for vaccine tenders based on World Bank income classification. We partner with others who have the right capability, geographic reach and local knowledge to get our innovation to patients. For decades, we have worked with partners to strengthen healthcare systems – key to increasing access to medicines in lower income countries.
Access
We are committed to making our products more affordable and available around the world. As well as through responsible pricing we do this through strategic access programmes and partnerships that expand our reach.
Vaccine partnerships
Access to HIV medicines
Going further
We also recognise that we can, and must, do more on access. There are specific challenges faced by people in low- and lower middle- income countries (LLMICs), and so we are working to increase their access to healthcare. Our Global Health activities in LLMICs are a key driver of this as they have the potential to impact 1.3 billion lives.
We are now renewing and extending our commitment to access to patients in LLMICs by applying everything that we have learned to date. This is to expand access to vaccines and medicines from our pipeline and portfolio that have the potential to change the trajectory of high-burden diseases in LLMICs.
We are systematically evaluating our pipeline and portfolio in consultation with global health partners to understand where we can make the most impact. This process will help us identify which products will benefit people most in need in these countries and develop access plans to reach them.
We are committed to continue to improve access, but understand that achieving this ambition will require focus, stamina and will be reached over time.
To achieve this commitment, we are guided by a set principles and key enablers. These include:
- Robust and evidence-based process and governance
- Prioritising for high impact, driven by local needs, priorities, insights and experience
- Ensuring impact and sustainability through innovative partnerships and local capacity building
- Recognising that no one size fits all
