Boehringer Ingelheim, a leading research-driven biopharmaceutical company, has been lifted to 8th place in the 2024 Access to Medicine Index (ATMI), up from 13th in 2022. This improvement reflects the company's strategic shift of prioritizing Health Equity as its primary contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
Every two years the ATMI evaluates the efforts of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies and ranks the top 20 based on their efforts to improve access to medicine in low- and middle-income countries. Today, it has recognized Boehringer Ingelheim's substantial progress across key areas, particularly in Research & Development (R&D) and Product Delivery - due to a strong performance in capacity building and measuring outcomes.
"Our significant advancement in the Access to Medicine Index is a direct result of our intensified focus on Health Equity," said Sashank Deshpande, Member of the Board of Managing Directors at Boehringer Ingelheim. "By enhancing our efforts towards achieving more equitable healthcare access globally, we've made notable strides in bringing innovative therapies to underserved populations."
Key achievements highlighting Boehringer's commitment to Health Equity include:
- Access Planning: The company now has more comprehensive access plans for its late-stage R&D projects, making sure new treatments will reach patients in need more effectively across diverse geographic and economic backgrounds.
- Access Strategies: The company has implemented tailored ways to access treatments across different income levels. For instance, the "Access to Healthcare" initiative in Kenya, which determines product pricing based on socio-economic situations, enhancing affordability and accessibility. Another is the partnership with "Farmacias Similares" in Mexico, which makes it possible to get treatments at reduced cost for low-income populations.
- Health System Strengthening: Initiatives like the Angels Initiative, aimed at improving global stroke care in over 150 countries, demonstrate Boehringer Ingelheim's commitment to enhancing healthcare infrastructure worldwide.
- Intellectual Property Sharing: Through the open innovation platform opnMe, the company has engaged in 26 new IP-sharing agreements with public research institutions in countries in scope of the ATMI, accelerating pre-clinical research for conditions such as diabetes, mental health, malaria, and COVID-19.
- Manufacturing and Supply Chain Capacity Building: Partnerships like the one with the Botswana Vaccine Institute for animal vaccine production showcase Boehringer Ingelheim's efforts to build local capabilities and ensure sustainable access to medicines.
These achievements are a direct result of Boehringer Ingelheim's strategic pivot towards Health Equity. The company has a long-standing commitment to support the elimination of human dog-mediated rabies by 2030. It runs vaccine donations in nine countries in scope of ATMI. In 2022, it stepped up its commitment to also implement a global STOP Rabies initiative, which focuses on vaccination, education and surveillance to additional countries. Furthermore, Boehringer's collaboration with Wella Health in Nigeria, connecting nearly 2,000 pharmacies to improve medicine availability and affordability, exemplifies innovative approaches being taken to overcoming healthcare access barriers in low- and middle-income countries.
Making strides to ensure greater health equity for underserved communities, including women and their children.
"Our improved ATMI ranking reflects how our focus on Health Equity is closing gaps in global healthcare access to reach more patients and animals in underserved communities," said Maria Tereno, Head of Sustainability & Culture at Boehringer Ingelheim. "By making Health Equity priority of our sustainability strategy, we are making a real difference in people's lives around the world leveraging our expertise in human and animal health."
As Boehringer Ingelheim continues to advance its Health Equity initiatives, the company reaffirms its commitment to collaboration with global health organizations, local partners, and underserved communities to create more inclusive and sustainable healthcare solutions and access worldwide.
The ATMI report can be accessed here.
Learn more about Boehringer's efforts in Health Equity and Sustainable Development here.
Boehringer Ingelheim
Boehringer Ingelheim is a biopharmaceutical company active in both human and animal health. As one of the industry's top investors in Research and Development, the company focuses on developing innovative therapies in areas of high unmet medical need. Independent since its foundation in 1885, Boehringer takes a long-term perspective, embedding sustainability along the entire value chain. More than 53,500 employees serve over 130 markets to build a healthier, more sustainable, and equitable tomorrow. Learn more at https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com.
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