Drugmakers in Davos shift focus to chronic diseases of poor

Two decades after they were spurred into action to tackle AIDS in Africa, global drugmakers said on Wednesday that they would invest $50 million over three years to fight cancer and other non-communicable diseases in poor countries.

Twenty-two companies, including Pfizer, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline, will contribute funds and expertise to the project, which is backed by the World Bank.

The so-called Access Accelerated initiative was announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and aims to improve both treatment and prevention.