Access Cancer Treatment

From South Africa, to India and Kenya, in many low- and middle-income countries, access to innovative cancer medicines is a challenge. “Nowadays it’s better if you have HIV than if you have cancer, because cancer is a killer disease. Cancer treatment is very expensive. If you are living a poor life like now me, you can’t manage it.” Josefine from Nairobi, Kenya.

The Medicines Patent Pool negotiates licences with originators on patented essential medicines, and then sublicenses to generic manufacturing partners for faster access to affordable versions of these medicines in low- and middle-income countries. “Now, with these partnerships between the innovators and the generic companies, some other molecules are being available, which are affordable for people with cancers in resource-limited settings.” Dr N. Kumarasamy, Voluntary Health Services (VHS) hospital, Chennai, India.