The emergence of Malaysia from a low to middle income nation has made it a prominent port of call to pharmaceutical companies for the sale of their products. However, like many other middle-income economies, Malaysia has the issue of being between a low-wage economy and an innovatively advanced one. This means access to new and innovative medication remains a challenge. Thus a working relationship between healthcare institutions (private and public) and pharmaceutical companies is vital in ensuring patients’ access to innovative medicines is seamless.
The 9th Access to Medicine Index 2024 offers an in-depth analysis of how 20 of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies performed in making essential healthcare products - from vaccines to diagnostics - available to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Some key findings of the report:
Only 43% of all clinical trials (297/685) were conducted in LMICs, including Malaysia, despite it constituting 80% of global population
Pharmaceutical companies tend to prioritize market access to countries where clinical trials were conducted, leaving the rest in a lurch
Clinical trials need to be more diverse, planning during research and development should encompass all geographical areas to ensure impartiality
More efforts are now being made to incorporate patients’ (from LMICs) perspectives and insights in innovative medicines development which can result in better health and benefits for all involved - namely patients, policy makers and payers.
