Partnerships
In recent years, Novartis has forged a succession of public-private partnerships and not-for-profit initiatives to help fight diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and leprosy.
Since the year 2000, for example, Novartis has provided free treatment for leprosy patients worldwide in a pioneering collaboration with the WHO. Four and a half million people with leprosy have been treated through the use of effective multi-drug therapy (MDT) supplied by Novartis. We also provide our anti-malarial drug Coartem without profit for public sector use in malaria-endemic countries.
We offer discounts and support programs on a broad range of pharmaceutical products to patients in the developed world who lack medical insurance or cannot afford the treatment.
We designed one of the most far-reaching patient assistance programs ever implemented on a global scale for our cancer therapy Gleevec/Glivec.
Patent protection and access to medicines
The impact of patent protection on patients' access to treatment in developing countries is often exaggerated. Although 95% of the drugs on the WHO's Model List of Essential Drugs are either available off-patent or not patented, a third of the world's population still has no access to essential drugs.
Our Vaccines and Diagnostics division partners with the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and others to deliver hundreds of millions of vaccines every year to help protect the next generation from diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus and polio. In fact, we’ve manufactured more than 350 million doses of polio vaccine alone to help eradicate this devastating disease. Producing more than 800 million vaccines annually, we ship approximately 70 percent of our vaccines to the developing world and remain committed to helping prevent the spread of life-threatening diseases and protecting vulnerable populations.
One example of our work in the developing world is our multi-year public-private partnership with Crucell and the United Nations for the development of Quinvaxem, a fully-liquid, pentavalent vaccine. Quinvaxem helps to protect infants and toddlers against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenza type b and will make an important contribution to pediatric vaccination programs for the developing world. The WHO granted prequalification for the combination vaccine so that Quinvaxem could be available to supranational purchasing organizations such as UNICEF and PAHO.
Beyond collaborating on the development and distribution of much-needed vaccines, we also leverage partnerships to educate the public on important health issues, including influenza prevention. “Spread the Word-NOT the Flu!” is an educational campaign we launched in the United States together with Families Fighting Flu (FFF) Inc. and Weekly Reader to teach children and their families the importance of influenza prevention and vaccination. In recognition of the program, the National Influenza Vaccine Summit awarded Novartis Vaccines the Excellence Award for extraordinary contributions toward improving vaccination rates within communities. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asked Novartis Vaccines to provide up to 10 million doses of Fluvirin to help prepare for the 2008-2009 influenza season.
Furthermore, the Novartis Vaccines Institute for Global Health (NVGH) works to strengthen Research and Development efforts for neglected diseases by establishing partnerships in both the developing and industrialized world. NVGH is a research institute with a strong “not for profit” philosophy dedicated to developing effective and affordable vaccines for neglected infectious diseases of developing countries.
NVGH partners with universities, research institutes and other public and private organizations to develop the scientific basis for vaccine development. Our institute bridges an existing gap between the discovery of promising vaccine candidates and the manufacturing and distribution of vaccines. NVGH collaborates with organizations such as the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, the WHO and UNICEF, and other non-governmental and non-profit organizations to bring international attention to this important issue.
Finally, Novartis Diagnostics partners with blood centers to increase donor recruitment and create greater awareness around the ongoing need for blood donations and a safe blood supply.
Learn more about the Novartis Vaccines Institute for Global Health (NVGH)
A third of the world's population still has no access to essential drugs
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Read more about:
GIPAP, one of the most far-reaching patient assistance programs ever implemented on a global scale.
Our efforts to eliminate leprosy
Our efforts to combat tuberculosis
Read our positions on:
Access to medicines in the developing world
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The Right to Health
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