The British drugs giant is having some early success with a novel “hybrid” approach in Africa that is focused on improving drug access by cutting prices for a continent with 24 percent of the world’s health problems and just 1 percent of the budget. Its goal is to increase volumes fivefold in five years. Rivals like Sanofi (SASY.PA) and Roche (ROG.VX) are also adopting “tiered” or differential pricing to open up developing world markets, but GSK has gone further by melding its business and corporate responsibility goals in a single operating unit. Traditionally, companies have kept charitable giving separate from their profit-making activities.
