Pharma News, Research & Solutions

BSR’s Guiding Principles on Access to Healthcare Signed by 13 Pharmaceutical CEOs

Sep 24, 2013 9:00 AM ET

New York, September 24, 2013 /3BL Media/  - At an event today held in conjunction with the United Nations General Assembly, BSR released its Guiding Principles on Access to Healthcare (GPAH), an industry-led call for more cross-sector collaboration to expand access to quality healthcare that has been signed by the CEOs of 13 major pharmaceutical companies.

“As stakeholders gather at the General Assembly to plan the post-2015 development agenda, these principles help all stakeholders—the pharmaceutical industry, governments, NGOs, donors, academia, and providers—work from a common framework to shape viable global health goals and form the cross-sector partnerships that drive systemwide change,” said BSR’s Healthcare Director Mark Little.

BSR’s Healthcare Working Group developed the principles, which build on the experience and lessons learned from cross-sector partnerships that help improve access to medicines and vaccines for areas as diverse as HIV/AIDS, neglected tropical diseases, and childhood immunization.

The GPAH recognize the importance of five core areas to reduce the global burden of disease:

  • Collaboration: Expanding access to healthcare is complex and requires the participation and cooperation of numerous diverse stakeholders with complementary responsibilities and capabilities—including governments, patient groups, healthcare providers, NGOs, multilateral organizations, payers, regulators, and others.
  • Research and Development: R&D is the primary mechanism through which industry seeks to meet unmet health needs. Specifically, industry recognizes the importance of developing and adapting products, promoting innovation and intellectual property rights, increasing transparency of clinical trials, and building local R&D capacity.
  • Expanding Availability of Healthcare Services: The results of industry’s innovations are only of value to patients if they are available and accessible. Industry seeks to expand access by developing appropriate strategies to pricing, registration, commercialization, and policy.
  • Developing Health Systems Resources: Recognizing that quality healthcare rests on the strength and capacity of local health systems, industry supports capacity-building, improvements in detection, prevention and health literacy, and investments in employees and suppliers.
  • Respecting Human Rights: A respect for human rights is at the foundation of all activities. Industry supports principles that respect human rights norms and are nondiscriminatory.

The principles have been signed by the CEOs of major healthcare companies with global leadership in pharmaceuticals, vaccines, diagnostics, and other medical technology. Signatories include Astellas, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eisai, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Merck (MSD), Merck Serono, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Roche, Sanofi, and Takeda.

Established in 1999, BSR’s Healthcare Working Group serves as a forum for peer companies to discuss and collaborate in a precompetitive manner on corporate social responsibility issues. To learn more about the Guiding Principles on Access to Healthcare, visit http://gpah.bsr.org.

About BSR

BSR works with its global network of more than 250 member companies to build a just and sustainable world. From its offices in Asia, Europe, and North and South America, BSR develops sustainable business strategies and solutions through consulting, research, and cross-sector collaboration. Visit www.bsr.org for more information about BSR’s more than 20 years of leadership in sustainability.