Voluntary Access Mechanism for Originator Health Supplies

GAiA is currently collaborating with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and several other organizations on a project that seeks to increase the availability of originator pharmaceutical products and other health technologies in developing countries. A summary of the project appears below

The Problem

6.5 billion people (more than 80% of the global population) live in low- and middle-income countries (L+MICs). Most of them have only limited access to novel healthcare supplies. Safe and efficacious innovative health technologies (IHTs) commonly take years to reach people living in L+MICs, resulting in dramatic differences in mortality and morbidity between poor and rich countries.

Many factors contribute to this disparity. The combination of mechanisms that we employ to stimulate the development and testing of new drugs and diagnostics tilts toward diseases common in developed countries. Intellectual property and regulatory systems plus fragmentation of national markets discourage both innovators and generics from selling extant products at reasonable prices in L+MICs. Unscrupulous manufacturers, inadequate control of distribution channels, and limited post-market surveillance hinder access.

The status quo is bad for all concerned: bad for patients, who go years without crucial medicines and who must pay high prices when those medicines finally do become available; bad for Ministries of Health, whose capacity to address patients‘ needs are stunted and which face crushing financial burdens; and bad for innovator companies, which forgo both access to many markets and potential revenue. To address this long-standing problem, a new approach to support healthy markets for IHTs is critical.

Our Solution

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Global Access in Action (GAiA), and several other partners, are exploring the creation of an independent entity to increase the availability and affordability of IHTs in L+MICs. This entity will be a not-for-profit entity that will eventually be financially self-sustaining.The Voluntary Access Mechanism for Originator Health Supplies (VAMOHS) will serve as a neutral negotiation platform and trusted intermediary that brings together L+MICs and IHT suppliers to promote healthy market function. VAMOHS will provide a safe harbor for negotiations on a wide variety pricing models and other crucial market-access enablers.

How VAMOHS Works

VAMOHS is a neutral platform that will:

  • Support and facilitate negotiations on pricing and market-access barriers to:
    • Enable innovative pricing and contracting models that meet the needs of L+MICs
    • Provide a business case and a cost-benefit analysis for countries seeking greater confidence in the value and impact of the health products they are considering procuring
  • Build and manage relationships with a broad network of global health players that provide access to a range of wrap-around services to help tackle critical market barriers: consultative and technical assistance; analytics; metrics & evaluation support; and connectivity to funding sources (see figure 2).

The Benefits of VAMOHS

For L+MIC governments:

  • Faster and expanded access to affordable, novel medicines 
  • More flexible pricing and payment models, in line with each country’s ability to pay
  • Access to support services to build capacity and improve patient care

For IHT manufacturers:

  • Lower transaction costs and more efficient deals, potentially with several countries simultaneously
  • Additional revenue sources via access to previously untapped markets 
  • Reduced risks and more predictable cash flows through volume guarantees
  • Opportunity to commit to and deliver on ESG goals

VAMOHS will coordinate access to a broad range of services through a constellation of partners