Access to medicine

The issue of access to medicine is complex, involving factors including development and health policies, health-system infrastructure and best practices, pricing, rational medicine use and adequate funding.

While the fundamental aspects of healthcare provision are the responsibility of governments and intergovernmental agencies, Novartis plays a supporting role whenever possible to improve patient access to our medicines.

We offer an innovative portfolio of access projects adapted to patient needs, products, partners and countries. Access strategies are systematically integrated into the global marketing of our new drugs.

In the developing world, we have created groundbreaking access programs through partnerships with the World Health Organization (WHO), other procurement agencies and nongovernmental organizations. In the developed world, we offer discounts and assistance programs to patients who lack medical insurance or cannot afford treatment.

Today millions of patients around the world benefit from Novartis initiatives, from drug-donation and research programs to combat neglected diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and leprosy to patient assistance programs that help cancer patients receive the most innovative and effective treatments available.

"A multi-stakeholder approach is part of the success recipe. If you have a government, the WHO, NGOs and an industry-related foundation like ours at the table, everybody brings things that none of the others have. This raises the quality of the effort and gives rise to synergies and innovation."
Professor Klaus M. Leisinger, President and Managing Director,
Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development

We recognize that access to medicine is simpler for people who live in affluent, developed societies. We want to be a leader and partner in finding and implementing solutions to help close the access gap between rich and poor countries.

Sustainable access to medicine in poor countries requires sufficient healthcare infrastructure, distribution and financing. Governments must play principal roles in addressing these problems. However, public-private partnerships are also essential to research new medicines, secure financing and develop critical health-system infrastructure and capabilities.

Learn more about our commitment to access to medicine on our corporate citizenship website

Read more about our initiatives to enhance access to healthcare