Novartis Korea ranked No. 1 on the 2024 Access to Medicine Index (ATMI) in Korea for its leadership in research and development and access governance and its ongoing efforts to improve global access to medicines.
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ATMI is published every two years by the Access to Medicine Foundation (ATMF). It ranks the top 20 research-focused global pharmaceutical companies by assessing their efforts to improve access to medicines, vaccines, and diagnostics in 113 low—and middle-income countries.
The report highlights Novartis' leading portfolio and pipeline in high-burden-of-care conditions, including non-communicable diseases, malaria, Chagas disease, and dengue fever, and its broad access strategy for late-stage candidates.
According to the report, Novartis provided medicines to 284 million patients worldwide last year and helped more than 33.2 million patients through various access improvement projects.
Key projects include:
ㆍDeveloping access plans for key late-stage drug candidates and integrating them into the company's strategy.
ㆍExpanding the licensing of innovative medicines in low- and middle-income countries and operating an inclusive business model to improve access to medicines in many low- and least-developed countries.
ㆍA malaria access strategy in partnership with the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV).
ㆍConducting a phase 2 clinical trial of an oral treatment for visceral leishmaniasis in Ethiopia in partnership with the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi).
According to the company, Novartis supplies medicines to more than 3.8 million Korean patients annually and is committed to improving access to care.
It also holds the highest number of patents among all Korean pharmaceutical companies, reinvests about 7 percent of its sales in domestic R&D, and has conducted the most clinical trials among global pharmaceutical companies in Korea over the past 12 years (2012-2023).
“As a leader in the global pharmaceutical industry, this achievement is a testament to Novartis' commitment to providing patients worldwide with greater access to innovative medicines across borders,” Novartis Korea President and CEO Yoo Byung-jae said. “We will continue to collaborate with stakeholders from all walks of life, including the government, medical community, and patient organizations, to create a pharmaceutical ecosystem that enables us to bring innovative medicines to patients as soon as possible to help extend their lives and improve treatment outcomes.”