E-DRUG: Now online: Access to Vaccines Index 2017
------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear E-drug colleagues,
I'm pleased to inform you that the first Access to Vaccines Index was
published today. It is now online at accesstovaccinesindex.org. You can
download the full report here:
https://accesstovaccinesindex.org/media/atvi/2017-Access-to-Vaccines-Index.pdf
The Access to Vaccines Index is the first publically available tool that
maps how vaccine companies are responding to global calls to increase
access to vaccines. The Index assesses the largest global players in the
vaccine market and companies with significant potential for improving
access to vaccines. It looks at their efforts to develop, manufacture and
supply preventive vaccines for 69 high-priority diseases across 107
high-need countries.
Here, I've included a high-level summary of the Index. We hope these
findings create discussion on issues in access to vaccines. We welcome your
responses and any questions you may have about our findings.
THE INDEX
At its core is a set of 13 metrics for assessing companies' policies and
practices in three areas: 1) Research & Development, 2) Pricing &
Registration, and 3) Manufacturing & Supply. These metrics reflect
stakeholders' views on how vaccine companies can contribute to global
immunisation targets.
The Index analyses eight key vaccine companies: the four largest companies
by revenue (GSK, Merck & Co., Inc., Pfizer, Sanofi); one of the largest
vaccine companies by sales volume (Serum Institute of India); and three
companies with significant potential for improving access to vaccines
(Daiichi Sankyo, Johnson & Johnson and Takeda). The Index finds that the
companies evaluated approach access to vaccines in differing ways, which
are generally linked to their diverse pipelines, portfolios, revenues and
sales.
The Index covers four main sections:
(1) Industry landscape and Key Findings: This section summarises how the
companies in scope have performed in the three Research Areas, and looks
ahead to where companies can do more. It presents an industry-level vaccine
portfolio and pipeline analysis and key findings.
(2) Cross-cutting analyses: The cross-cutting analyses draw on findings
from the Index's three Research Areas to examine industry responses to two
current vaccine-access challenges: developing and deploying the first
malaria and dengue vaccines; and responding to emerging infectious diseases.
(3) Three Research Area analyses: The Index includes in-depth analyses
of company performances in three Research Areas: Research & Development,
Pricing & Registration and Manufacturing & Supply. All eight companies were
evaluated in Research & Development; six were also evaluated in Pricing &
Registration, and in Manufacturing & Supply. (Daiichi Sankyo and Takeda are
the exceptions).
(4) Company report cards: The 2017 Access to Vaccines Index includes
eight company report cards, which each provide a detailed overview of how
one company is approaching access to vaccines. Each report card includes
overviews of the company's portfolio and pipeline.
USING THE INDEX
The Access to Vaccines Index reveals an initial baseline of industry
activity regarding access to vaccines, while identifying new opportunities
for stakeholders and companies to break down access barriers. The Index and
its methodology can be used to hold companies to account while tracking
their progress against globally agreed immunisation targets. It can act as
a review mechanism for international immunisation agendas and priorities,
including those set out in the WHO's Global Vaccines Action Plan and the
Sustainable Development Goals. Companies and other stakeholders in the
vaccine ecosystem can use the Index to inform priority- and
strategy-setting, and to clarify where new incentives would spur greater
positive change.
WHO WE ARE
The Access to Vaccines Index is an initiative of the Access to Medicine
Foundation. It is funded by the Dutch National Postcode Lottery.
The Access to Medicine Foundation is a non-profit organisation. It aims to
advance access to medicine in low- and middle-income countries by
stimulating and guiding the pharmaceutical industry to play a greater role
in improving access to medicine and vaccines. For ten years, the Foundation
has been building consensus on the role for the pharmaceutical industry in
improving access to medicine and vaccines. It published its first benchmark
of industry activity in this area in 2008, in the first Access to Medicine
Index, now in its fifth iteration. In 2017, it published the first Access
to Vaccines Index and is developing the first Antimicrobial Resistance
Benchmark.
Best,
Clarke Cole
Researcher
Access to Medicine Foundation
Scheepmakersdijk 5A, 2011 AS Haarlem
The Netherlands
accesstomedicineindex.org
accesstovaccinesindex.org
Clarke Cole <ccole@atmindex.org>