The Oslo Medicines Initiative: final report on the consultations with Member States and non-State actors: January–April 2021

Overview

The challenge for governments of ensuring equitable access to effective medicines that are affordable, appropriate and of high quality is vastly increasing in urgency as the demand for adequate health care expands, and new therapies emerge. Paying for certain innovative medicines – including novel cell and gene therapies – can be challenging, even in high-income countries, and may therefore put patient access at risk. The WHO Regional Office for Europe, with the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services and the Norwegian Medicines Agency, developed the Oslo Medicines Initiative – a new vision for collaboration between the public and private sectors – to improve access to effective, novel, high-priced medicines. This report summarizes the outcomes of the first set of consultations with Member States and non-State actors on the proposed objectives and programme of work of the Oslo Medicines Initiative. Three separate consultations were held in January and April 2021.