Novartis Access® is an innovative business model to increase access to on- and off-patent medicines for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in countries across Africa, Latin America and Asia.

Novartis Access is offered to governments, NGOs and other institutional customers in lower-income countries. Building on key learnings from our activities on the ground, we have evolved toward a more flexible approach to better respond to country requirements and local disease burdens. In some countries, we offer a portfolio of medicines, but in others only a sub-set or single molecules at variable prices per molecule. Depending on public subsidy levels, patients in participating countries may either receive Novartis Access medicines free of charge or purchase them at a low price to manage their chronic condition long-term. For those who need to purchase their treatments, we are working with our partners to minimize markups.

Products included in the Novartis Access program have been selected based on three criteria: significant health needs, medical relevance, and lack of local access programs. Treatments include well-proven and standard first-line treatments as well as some of the latest treatment choices. Most of the medicines are either on or belong to a class on the World Health Organization’s Model List of Essential Medicines and are among the most commonly prescribed medicines. The treatments offer the same quality and supply security as medicines sold in developed countries. In addition, they have all been qualified for use in tropical climates.

Beyond the medicines, Novartis Access offers capacity building activities to support healthcare systems in preventing, diagnosing and treating NCDs.