Patients
Novartis puts patients first. We want to create value for all patients, including those who cannot afford treatment. In 2007 our access-to-medicines programs, valued at USD 937 million, reached 66 million patients globally. In the developing world, we extend free leprosy and tuberculosis treatment and offer our antimalarial drug Coartem without profit through multilateral institutions and public-private partnerships.
In the developed world we also provide discounts and assistance programs to patients who need support. We designed one of the most far-reaching patient-assistance programs ever implemented on a global scale for our cancer therapy Gleevec/Glivec.
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Drug pricing
Drug prices are the subject of increased debate as countries are faced with rising healthcare costs and limited budgets. Concerns include the high cost of new medicines, price variation between countries and the impact of price on access to life-saving medicines in the developing world.
We believe that prices of innovative medicines should be based on value, not on production costs.
Variation in drug prices that consumers pay at pharmacies is mostly due to markups from the distribution chain (including wholesalers and pharmacists) rather than variations in ex-factory prices charged by manufacturers.
In theory, prices for medicines should vary across countries based on their wealth, their economic ability and willingness to pay and the cost of alternative therapies. In practice, international price referencing and parallel trade lead to regional price convergence, affecting patients and delaying access to medicines.
Where patents have expired and medicines are available from multiple sources, prices should be regulated by market forces: supply and demand.
We get medicine to patients, particularly in the developing world, by supplying it at cost and making it available through patient-access programs.
Learn more about our views about drug pricing on our website Citizenship@Novartis
Patient groups
Our commitment to high-quality healthcare has led to partnerships between Novartis and patient groups.
Citizenship in action
The Regional Psychosocial Support Initiative brings hope to AIDS orphans in Africa.
Our products
We are a leader in offering medicines to protect health, cure disease and improve well-being.