A decade ago, United Nations officials implored the pharmaceutical industry to expand access to medicines to low- and middle-income countries, and many companies have heeded the call. But a new analysis finds that evidence to evaluate and report the effectiveness of these initiatives is lacking.
First, the good news: The number of initiatives operated by 21 global drug makers increased to 102 in 2015 from just 17 in 2000. And of the 120 access to medicines programs that were identified, 48 percent donated pharmaceuticals and 44 percent relied on a strategy for reducing prices. Only 22 percent involved licensing to other companies.
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