Access to Medicine Foundation

Focus area/active in: Human Health | Therapeutics | independent assessment of pharma action on AMR

Company/Organisation type: non-profit organisation based in Amsterdam

About:

The Access to Medicine Foundation is an independent non-profit based in Amsterdam. Its mission is to stimulate and guide pharmaceutical companies to do more for people who live in low- and middle-income countries. Every two years, it publishes the Antimicrobial Resistance Benchmark, which evaluates how a cross-section of the pharmaceutical industry is responding to the global threat of AMR, focusing on company actions relating to medicines and vaccines for bacterial and fungal infections.

The 2020 AMR Benchmark evaluated company action across three areas: Research & Development, Responsible Manufacturing and Appropriate Access & Stewardship. These areas have been confirmed by the Foundation through a process of stakeholder dialogue as those where pharmaceutical companies have core responsibilities to limit AMR: to develop new medicines to replace ones that no longer work, to make them available and accessible to those who need them, and to find new ways to ensure antibiotics are produced and promoted responsibly.

In 2020, the AMR Benchmark evaluated 30 companies with a major stake in the anti-infectives space, including those with the largest R&D divisions, the largest market presence, and leading expertise in developing critically needed antibiotics and antifungals. It found signs of improvement in how pharmaceutical companies are tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR), particularly when it comes to stewardship. Disclosure, particularly among generic medicine manufacturers, has also improved. More companies are taking steps to reduce the risk of overselling antibiotics and antifungal medicines to healthcare practitioners. Companies are also sharing what they know about resistance from their surveillance programmes, with Pfizer setting the pace by publicly sharing its raw data. Entasis also stands out, for supporting its two late-stage projects with plans to ensure better access and good stewardship soon after launch.

After the publication of each Antimicrobial Resistance Benchmark, the Foundation starts the work of using the findings to spur change across the industry. In practice, that means engaging with pharmaceutical companies on our findings, as well as with organisations from the private sector, donors, NGOs, governments and the investor community, to improve companies’ and stakeholders’ long-term thinking on key issues and to increase the application of best practices. The next Benchmark report will be published in 2021.

Website: https://accesstomedicinefoundation.org/amr-benchmark

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