22 Biopharma Companies Partner and Launch First-of-its-kind Global Initiative to Address Rise of Non-Communicable Diseases

- Global, multi-stakeholder collaboration, called Access Accelerated, to be delivered in partnership with World Bank Group and Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)

- Initial three-year commitment will catalyze, develop, measure and replicate sustainable programs in low and lower-middle income countries

- Collective funding of $50 million and increased individual company program commitments to address NCDs

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at the World Economic Forum, twenty-two leading biopharmaceutical companies launched Access Accelerated, a global initiative to advance access to non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention and care in low and lower-middle income countries (LICs and LMICs).

NCDs have reached a point of crisis, particularly in lower and middle income countries, where nearly 80 percent of NCD-related deaths occur. The goal of Access Accelerated, in partnership with the World Bank Group and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), is to work towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target to reduce premature deaths from NCDs by one-third by 2030. 

"Through the commitment and expertise of the Access Accelerated partners, we will work towards a shared vision where no person dies prematurely from a preventable, treatable disease," said Ian Read, Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer and President of The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), on behalf of the initiative. "If the current trend in NCDs in low- and lower-middle income countries is not reversed, there is a real possibility we will undermine the progress we have made in health around the world. To reach our goal, we need to catalyze new partnerships, learn quickly and advance the resources and knowledge that will enable countries to tackle NCDs."  

Building on more than 100 long-standing individual company investments to advance NCD care in developing countries, Access Accelerated will bring additional accountability and transparency to existing efforts while also placing a specific emphasis on addressing access barriers to NCD prevention, treatment and care. Efforts will be evaluated with the support of independent experts at Boston University to establish a framework for progress, measure effectiveness and deliver ongoing reporting.