GSK and Novo Nordisk Lead on Access Index

Last week, the Access to Medicine Foundation released its 2014 Index rating the performance of companies in broadening access to medicines in low and middle-income countries.

For the fourth time, GSK leads the index with Novo Nordisk taking second. J&J. Novartis, Gilead and Merck KGaA rank three to six with nearly even scores.

Download the report here.

Novo Nordisk leapt from sixth to second with improvements in five of the seven areas the index analyzes.

Also making impressive gains in index rankings were Novartis, Merck KGaA and Eisai. Some companies that took tumbles in the rankings were Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Takeda.

Astellas, Daiichi Sankyo and Takeda are at the bottom of the index ranking 18^th, 19^th and 20^th.

The index is built on business activity in seven areas with four strategic pillars considered in each.

The foundation has refined what it measures and how it assesses the evidence resulting in “a clearer picture of industry strengths, weaknesses, progress and struggles – and a crystallised understanding of what it takes to be a leader in access to medicine,” according to Wim Leereveld, Index CEO and Founder.