And the answer is…. GlaxoSmithKline, which led its counterparts in a host of variables that formed the second-ever Access to Medicine Index. European drugmakers, in fact, bested US rivals in making medicines available to people in developing countries, although the foundation that runs the project says this lead is shrinking.

The index is designed to offer investors a way to compare pharma’s social responsibility records by measuring 106 indicators that examined activities across seven criteria such as philanthropy, patents, pricing and management (see more here). The latest report - the first was issued in 2008 - covers 27 companies, including 20 brand-name drugmakers and seven generics manufacturers, which have their own list and was topped by Ranbaxy Labs, now owned by Daiichi-Sankyo.

The latest report finds drugmakers are providing more insight into their policies and actions to increase access to meds, such as R&D and equitable pricing, but there is room for improvement. “…the industry as a whole still has a long way to go,” says Index found Wim Leereveld in statement. Backers include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (here’s the list and the full report).

The report, of course, will be used to defuse critics, such as non-governmental organizations and activist groups, who say not enough is done to make meds accessible in poor countries. The arguments often center on compulsory licensing and free-trade agreements, as well as intellectual property disputes, pricing and donations. Pharma, you may recall, has been on the defensive ever since they fought South Africa over HIV meds, and is now ramping up operations in so-called emerging markets, many of which are low-margin operations where incomes are lower.

Here is the ranking of the brand-name drugmakers…

1 - GlaxoSmithKline
2 - Merck
3 - Novartis
4 - Gilead Sciences
5 - Sanofi-Aventis
6 - Roche
7 - AstraZeneca
8 - Novo Nordisk
9 - Johnson & Johnson
10 - Abbott Labs
11 - Pfizer
12 - Boehringer Ingelheim
13 - Eli Lilly
14 - Bayer
15 - Bristol-Myers Squibb
16 - Eisai
17 - Merck KGaA
18 - Takeda Pharmaceuticals
19 - Astellas Pharma
20 - Daiichi Sanyko

Photo from Medicins San Frontieres