Associations and organizations
Novartis is represented at different levels of the organization by various business associations in the countries and regions where we operate. Such bodies are a valuable forum for Novartis in which to extend our thinking and push for industry-wide improvement in social and environmental performance.
Our main involvement in trade associations occurs through the pharmaceutical sector organizations - notably Interpharma in Switzerland, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA) in the United States, the European Generics Association (EGA), the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), EuropaBio and the Association of the European Self-Medication Industry (AESGP).
These bodies provide a forum in which we can explore key issues for our sector, exchange best practice and benchmark ourselves against our peers. They also speak for the industry and represent our common interests in exchanges with legislators, regulators and other stakeholders. Overall, Novartis spent USD 24 million in support of major international, American and pan-European trade associations in 2008.
The advocacy work carried out through industry associations aims to create a climate conducive to fulfilling our mission as a research-based pharmaceutical innovator. This includes pursuing improvements to health systems that will benefit society as a whole. EFPIA, for example, is advocating greater support within the EU for the development of orphan and pediatric medicines and for the right balance to be struck between rewarding innovation, providing patient access to medicines and managing costs of social security systems. In the US, meanwhile, GPhA is working with members of Congress and administration officials to ensure that Americans have immediate access to generic medicines after patents have expired. It is also collaborating with international groups such as the International Generic Pharmaceutical Alliance and Cumvivium to promote access to medicines worldwide.
Novartis is playing an active role in raising ethical business standards through our membership of industry bodies. In 2005, in his then capacity as President of IFPMA, Dr. Daniel Vasella, Chairman and CEO of Novartis, spearheaded the creation of the first global public registry for clinical studies involving human patients. The resulting clinical trials portal grants access to information and data from over 250 000 trials worldwide. We believe the publishing of trial results - favorable or not - offers important public health benefits by making information more widely available to healthcare practitioners and patients. During his tenure Dr. Vasella also led a revision of the IFPMA Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices, which entered into force for all IFPMA members in January 2007.
In line with this, Novartis is an active supporter of sustainable business organizations including the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) and the Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI). We are a strong adherent to the UN Global Compact and a founding member of the Business Leaders Initiative for Human Rights (BLIHR) chaired by Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997 to 2002. We are also engaged in public-private partnerships, such as our collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Wellcome Trust.
Novartis welcomes dialogue on public policy issues and aspires to be open, transparent and accountable in its advocacy activities.
The International Generic Pharmaceutical Alliance
Cumvivium to promote access to medicines worldwide
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