AstraZeneca response to Oxfam’s report “Investing for Life”
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited AstraZeneca to respond to the following items:
Press release: "Pharmaceutical industry is undermining its own future as millions of poor people denied access to medicines", Oxfam, 27 Nov 2007
Full report: “Investing for life - Meeting poor people’s needs for access to medicines through responsible business practices”, Oxfam, 27 Nov 2007
AstraZeneca sent this statement:
AstraZeneca statement on Oxfam report – 26 November 2007
“Investing for life – meeting poor people’s needs for access to medicines through responsible business practices”
AstraZeneca notes the publication of Oxfam’s latest briefing paper Investing for life. We recognise the need for constructive debate and input to global efforts to find solutions to complex issues such as meeting poor people’s needs for access to medicines. However, we are disappointed that the final report does not reflect the extensive recent dialogue we have had with Oxfam; the complexity of solutions that are required, or the contribution that the pharmaceutical industry has made in this area.
AstraZeneca recognises that the R&D-based pharmaceutical industry has a role to play in improving access to medicines; both in using our unique skills and expertise to discover and develop new treatments; and implementing other innovative solutions to improve healthcare. There are still significant needs in terms of addressing healthcare infrastructure - governments, NGOs and donor agenciesas well as industry have to continue to work in partnership to achieve change.
In this context, AstraZeneca continues to invest in R&D to find new treatments for tuberculosis (TB) – one of the leading causes of death from infectious disease in the developing world. We have already made public our intention to seek partnership arrangements with the appropriate global and local organisations to make treatment available at affordable prices to those who need it in the poorest countries. In addition, in areas where our current medicines are not appropriate for the healthcare needs of the poorest people in the developing world, or where healthcare infrastructures are not yet in place to deliver chronic treatments, we continue to partner with organisations such as AXIOS, the Red Cross and AMREF to help poor communities strengthen their healthcare capabilities at a local level.
As a publicly owned company we have an obligation to deliver long-term value in a sustainable way to our shareholders. We also recognise that we have a role to play in improving healthcare for poorer populations where often the lack of effective healthcare systems means that the availability of medicines is not always the primary challenge. This can only be addressed through unequivocal commitment and collective efforts of all related stakeholders – including governments, international community, donors, civil society organisations and private sector.