Darmstadt, Germany/Korea IT Times – Merck a leading science and
technology company, announced it now ranks fourth in the 2016 Access to
Medicine Index, climbing two ranks since the last Index in 2014. Merck's ranking by the Access to Medicine Foundation is a recognition of the company's strategy of
including access to health within its core business and of leveraging its
competencies, expertise and experience across the whole value chain to address the
needs of unserved and underserved populations.
“Our outstanding performance in the 2016 ATM Index underlines our commitment
to help people in low- and middle-income countries that lack access to affordable
healthcare. Access to Health has become a strategic priority for Merck and we are
very pleased that our efforts have been recognized by the ATM Foundation,"
said Belen Garijo, member of the Executive Board of Merck and CEO Healthcare.
“We have made outstanding progress in the last five years and we remain
committed to sustainably deliver healthcare solutions to help the two billion people
worldwide, who still lack access to effective and affordable healthcare,”
Garijo added.
Every two years, the Access to Medicine Foundation, through its Index, benchmarks
the top pharmaceutical companies on activities and initiatives that experts consider
most relevant for access to medicine, ranging from donations, and patents to
capacity-building. The 2016 ATM Index specifically recognized Merck for its accessrelated
targets that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs), for its leadership in capacity-building and for having one of the most
transparent approaches to Intellectual Property (IP) management. Furthermore,
Merck engaged in various R&D partnerships and files to register a high proportion
of its newest products in high-burden countries, acknowledged the Foundation.
Progressing from the last Index in 2014, Merck has been particularly recognized by
the Access to Medicine Foundation for leading practices such as:
• Clarity in approach to access-related Intellectual Property by indicating
where it holds patents, where it will not file for or enforce patents
• Capacity-building, with a range of initiatives, including long-term
engagement in detecting suspected counterfeit medicines through the Global
Health Pharma Fund and local skill gap and awareness strengthening in
Indonesia and the Philippines
• Scaled-up Su-Swastha Program that aims to increase access to quality
healthcare products at an affordable price and address the lack of healthcare
infrastructure in rural India
• Supporting vaccine manufacturers of developing countries by sharing
expertise on safety and quality in biologic manufacturing with network
members including those in Bangladesh, Egypt and Vietnam
• Providing support, expertise and regular quality manufacturing training to
local third-party plant managers through the Virtual Plant Team
• Continuous effort to control Schistosomiasis through a holistic approach,
including the Merck Praziquantel Donation Programin cooperation with WHO
Merck’s improved ATM Foundation Index ranking reflects the company’s overarching
commitment to improving sustainable access to high quality solutions for
underserved populations and communities, regardless of their geographic location
or ability to pay. Merck’s Access to Health (A2H) approach leverages the company’s
cross-business and functional skills, competencies and expertise through its “4As of
Access” priorities: Availability, Affordability, Awareness and Accessibility.
Merck recognizes that partnership, collaboration and continuous dialogue with a
diverse array of public and private stakeholders are key to ensuring that the delivery
of sustainable access solutions is serving people’s needs.
