Health

STAT+: Pharma is a ‘mixed bag’ when providing drug access to low- and middle-income countries, analysis finds

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 10/11/2026, 13:06:24 UTC.

Briefings

A new analysis reveals that while pharmaceutical companies are increasing access plans for late-stage drugs, coverage remains uneven across different disease categories and regions. The study highlights a significant gap in access for non-communicable diseases like sickle cell disease and diabetes, where plans often focus only on regulatory registration in wealthy nations rather than ensuring patient availability. Key metrics show access plans cover 69% of late-stage pipeline candidates overall, with 95% of those developed with nonprofit partners having such plans, compared to 67% without partners. Cancer treatments show improvement at 65% coverage, but non-communicable disease access remains critically low in many low- and middle-income countries.

Key points

• Access plans for late-stage pipeline drug candidates now cover 69% of candidates, a substantial increase from 18% in 2018.
• Among late-stage experimental drugs developed with nonprofit partners, 95% have access plans, compared to 67% without partners.

Context

This analysis examines pharmaceutical industry efforts to improve medicine access in low- and middle-income countries, revealing mixed progress in expanding access plans across different disease categories and regions.

Limitations

Data covers only late-stage pipeline candidates and experimental drugs; findings for non-communicable diseases are limited to specific categories like sickle cell disease and diabetes, with no data on mental health or other conditions.

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