GSK expands Filipino access to its globally-trusted medicines
Offers landmark 30-50% price reduction on most major brands

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced today that it has dropped the prices of most of its major medicines by 30 to 50 percent in a bid to make quality medicines affordable to more Filipinos.

The landmark announcement marks the first time the company is embarking on a wide-ranging reduction not only in the country, but in the rest of the countries worldwide where GSK sells its medicines.

“GSK recognizes the need to improve patient access to the best quality medicines and have worked to help address this,” said Roberto Taboada, GSK Philippines president and managing director. “We are proud to take our biggest and most significant step towards helping more Filipinos benefit from the value our medicines provide.”

As of March 1, GSK has implemented price reductions on medicines for acute diseases such as pneumonia and other bacterial infections, ulcer, bronchitis, hospital acquired infection, nausea and vomiting among others. Its cervical cancer vaccine continues to be available at a more affordable price, after it was reduced by as much as 60 percent in November 2008.

It has also expanded its patient programs to include more medicines available at discounted prices to help patients manage chronic diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bipolar disorder and chronic hepatitis B infection. Patients can enroll in the patient programs through their doctors, who can help monitor and improve their adherence for better treatment outcomes.

Taboada clarified that the price reduction is not a limited promotion but a long-term commitment to Filipino patients. “This is our biggest commitment to Filipino patients yet. Our previous experience with ValueHealth makes us confident that we will be able to sustain our efforts to make our medicines affordable to more, with the continued support of patients and doctors,” Taboada stressed.

Value Health was a program initiated in 2004 by GSK, which offered significant price reductions for the company’s most widely prescribed treatments for cough, asthma and bacterial infections.

“I wish to congratulate GSK for this most visionary initiative which provides our people with many of your innovative products at more affordable prices,” said Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III in response to this initiative. “I applaud your company’s commitment to be a big part of the global movement to improve access to medicines in the developing world.”

The reduction puts in motion the global thrust of GSK, one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical companies, to widen access to quality medicines all over the world.

Recently, GSK global chief executive officer Andrew Witty set out an ambitious new agenda to tackle the challenges of improving global health. This includes drastically reducing its prices in the 50 Least Developed Countries and being flexible in pricing for middle-income countries such as the Philippines to better respond to the needs of the patients.

Aside from implementing programs to improve accessibility of its medicines, GSK Philippines has also entered into multi-stakeholder partnerships to help address important healthcare issues in underserved communities. It is an active partner in the elimination of lymphatic filariasis, the second leading cause of permanent disability in the country. GSK has also provided healthcare insurance coverage for indigent families through its partnership with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth).

GSK Philippines is committed to improving access to its globally-trusted brands and fulfilling its responsibilities to underserved communities so that more Filipinos can do more, feel better, live longer.