How Novartis Access Works

Novartis Access offers a portfolio of 15 on- and off-patent medicines addressing key noncommunicable diseases (NCDs): cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, respiratory illnesses and breast cancer.

The Novartis Access portfolio is offered as a basket to governments, NGOs and other institutional customers in lower-income countries at a price of USD 1 per treatment per month. 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.

The products included in the Novartis Access portfolio have been selected based on three criteria: significant health needs, medical relevance, and lack of local access programs. The portfolio aims to offer various treatment options, including well-proven and standard first-line treatments as well as some of the latest treatment choices. Fourteen out of the 15 portfolio 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 in the portfolio 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 portfolio, Novartis Access offers capacity building activities to support healthcare systems in preventing, diagnosing and treating NCDs.

Starting in January 2018, Novartis Access will continue to be rolled out as planned in the public sector in sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Central America and Central and Eastern Europe, but we will also test a new approach in the following seven countries: Cambodia, Laos, Malawi, Nepal, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

There, Novartis Social Business (which comprises Novartis Access) will be responsible for the entire Novartis offering, including the Novartis Access portfolio, sub-portfolios, and single products both in the public and in the private sector. This approach will allow us to tailor our offer to the specific healthcare needs of these countries. Ultimately, the goal is to maximize patient reach across all income levels to ensure a sustainable business.

We are striving to roll out the program in 30 countries in the coming years – depending on governmental and stakeholder demand.

To learn more about Novartis Access, download the fact sheet (PDF 0.5 MB) and Novartis Access two-year report (PDF 1 MB )