Results and milestones

• The ATOM Coalition was launched on the sidelines of the 75^th World Health Assembly (WHA75) in May 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland.
• In the first phase of operations (4-5 years), the ATOM Coalition will support the implementation of intensive coordinated capacity building activities in 5 to 10 countries, expanding to other LLMICs over time. It will also focus on increasing access to medicines in 46 countries currently classified as LLMICs. Priority will be placed on medicines on the WHO Essential Medicines List (EML) or those likely to be included in the future that treat cancers with the highest incidence-to-mortality in LLMICs (lung, colorectal, breast, cervical, prostate and childhood cancers). Countries will be selected based on the presence of ATOM partners, health system readiness, diagnostic capability, the number of essential medicines already listed on their National Essential Medicines Lists, and the existence of other access programs in the country.
• The ATOM Coalition Medicines Expert Advisory Group has put forward a priority list of 17 generic and biosimilar medicines, which was guided by the Access to Medicines Foundation’s new industry programme on generic manufacturers and their work on a product list for cancer medicines.

Company updates:

• Novartis joined forces with public and private partners as a founding member of the Access to Oncology Medicines (ATOM) Coalition. Novartis is the first pharmaceutical company to contribute an innovative medicine (nilotinib), a treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia in both children and adults. In October 2022, Novartis granted the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) a non-exclusive license for nilotinib – becoming the first company to sign a non-exclusive voluntary license for an oncology medicine. Nilotinib is on the WHO’s essential medicines list. The agreement allows the MPP to sub-license nilotinib to generic manufacturers, who will be able to manufacture and commercialize the medicine in designated markets. In June 2023, the MPP signed sublicence agreements with three India-based companies, Eugia, Hetero and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, along with Indonesian-based company BrightGene to manufacture generic versions of nilotinib. The selected companies can manufacture generic versions of nilotinib in India and seven middle-income countries and supply it to 44 territories included in the licence through a non-exclusive licence agreement, subject to SRA and local regulatory authorization. The licence includes the opportunity to develop and supply generic versions of nilotinib in seven middle-income countries, namely Egypt, Guatemala, Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tunisia, where patents on the product are pending or in force. The selection of the manufacturers marks an important step to improving access to affordable cancer treatment. This approach aims to serve as a new model for the pharmaceutical sector to help close the gaps in access to life-changing medicines for non-communicable diseases.