'The Corporate Reputation of Pharma in 2020 during the Covid Pandemic - the Global Patient Perspective' ‘The Corporate Reputation of Pharma in 2020 during the Covid Pandemic ― the Patient Perspective’ The results of an indepdendent survey of 1,920 patient groups worldwide. ―the respondent patient groups reached out to more than 1 million patients in 2020. EMBARGOED PRESS RELEASE 1am GMT, TUESDAY, APRIL 27st 2021 A PDF version of this press release can be downloaded HERE ~ Contact: Alex Wyke ~ Mob: +44-(0)-7960-855-019 ~ Email: report@patient-view.comSUMMARY OF FINDINGS London, April 27th, 2021 Patient groups responding to 2020’s ‘Corporate Reputation of Pharma’ survey are uniquely positioned to comment on the pharma industry’s performance during the pandemic, as these patient organisations not only understand the perceptions of patients, but are also the only stakeholder to network with ALL other stakeholders in the healthcare system. For this reason, the opinions of 1,920 patient groups on the performance of the pharmaceutical industry in 2020 during the Covid pandemic were collected, November 2020-February 2021. The 1,920 patient groups reached out to over 1 million patients in 2020. Patient perspectives of pharma during the Covid pandemic: top-line findings
Covid has thrown into stark relief virtually all aspects of pharmaceutical-company business, and has had a direct impact on the corporate reputation of the industry and individual companies. The comments supplied to this latest ‘Corporate Reputation’ survey by respondent patient groups make clear that both the effectiveness of pharma’s Covid response, and its corporate reputation, were directly tied to one another in 2020. The 2020 ‘Corporate Reputation’ survey asked respondent patient groups to assess pharmaceutical companies, not just on ability to produce vaccines (which respondent patient groups considered impressive), but also on the contributions that the companies made to alleviating problems imposed by the pandemic on non-Covid patients―who were isolated from their customary routine healthcare during much of 2020.
ABOUT PATIENTVIEW’S TWO 2020 ‘CORPORATE-REPUTATION’ SURVEYS I. Survey of 1,920 patient groups
II. Best-practice case studies from pharma (contributions by seven leading pharma companies) The survey provided pharma companies with an opportunity to tell their own story on how they tried to help patients cope during Covid. Seven companies participated, offering insights into what the pharma industry saw as its remit during the pandemic—both in 2020, and moving forward into 2021: Boehringer Ingelheim | Gilead Sciences | Horizon Therapeutics | Ipsen | Lundbeck (US division) | Pfizer | and ViiV Healthcare.
1. THE PHARMA INDUSTRY’S EFFECTIVENESS AT TACKLING THE COVID PANDEMIC IN 2020 The effectiveness of the pharma industry at supporting patients during Covid, 2020. Percentage of respondent patient groups stating “Very effective” or “Effective”
A majority of patient groups in most countries stated that such was the case. The exceptions were patient groups from eight countries—including France and India. In their feedback to the survey, patient groups responding from France and India raised strikingly-similar criticisms of the pharma industry during the pandemic: a lack of information from pharma about Covid (and a lack of information about Covid’s impact on patients’ situations); a withdrawal of contact during 2020 by pharma companies that were these patient groups’ customary partners; and a failure by pharma to tackle the shortages that occured with patients' customary medicines as a result of the pandemic. In the case of therapeutic areas, 2020’s respondent endocrine patient groups seemed the least satisfied with pharma’s capacity to help patients during Covid. Feedback given to the survey by the 66 respondent diabetes patient groups suggest that their unhappiness stems from the difficulties diabetes patients experienced in accessing insulin during the pandemic. The effectiveness of the pharma industry at supporting patients during Covid, 2020—by country. Percentage of respondent patient groups stating “Very effective” or “Effective” The effectiveness of the pharma industry at supporting patients during Covid, 2020—by therapy area. Percentage of respondent patient groups stating “Very effective” or “Effective” 2. THE PHARMA INDUSTRY’S CORPORATE REPUTATION IN 2020 Patient groups were more positive about the pharmaceutical industry in 2020 than in the previous nine years this survey has been conducted.
The corporate reputation of the pharmaceutical industry, 2011-2020. Percentage of respondent patient groups stating “Excellent” or “Good” Patient groups were impressed by the innovative and vaccine-development skills of pharma during the pandemic. Indeed, a number of the respondent patient groups commented that they wished these skills could be replicated in future for non-Covid treatments. Pharma’s ability to innovate, 2011-2020. Percentage of respondent patient groups stating “Excellent” or “Good” Pharma’s ability to produce products of benefit to patients, 2011-2020. Percentage of respondent patient groups stating “Excellent” or “Good” Although increases in approval ratings were posted on all of pharma’s activities in 2020, the majority of patient groups nevertheless still believed the industry to be only “Fair” or “Poor” in areas other than innovation and the production of high-quality products. Pharma’s pricing policies continued to be the worst-rated subject area for the industry, with only 11% of the 1,920 respondent patient groups judging the pharma industry “Excellent” or “Good” at setting fair pricing policies. 3. RESPONSE TO COVID BY INDIVIDUAL PHARMA COMPANIES
TOP 15 OUT of 48 COMPANIES: Rankings of the top companies for response to Covid in 2020 (as assessed by respondent patient groups familiar with the company) Factors influencing the opinions of respondent patient groups Many factors directly and indirectly influenced the attitudes of patient groups to the effectiveness of individual pharma companies at supporting patients during the Covid pandemic, including:
What patient groups say 4. RANKINGS FOR OVERALL CORPORATE REPUTATION BY INDIVIDUAL PHARMA COMPANIES IN 2020
TOP 15 OUT OF 48 COMPANIES: Rankings of the top companies for overall corporate reputation in 2020 during the Covid pandemic (as assessed by respondent patient groups familiar with the company) ViiV Healthcare retained the top spot for overall corporate reputation that it has held since 2013. Although not a vaccine maker, ViiV Healthcare stated (in its contribution to PatientView’s best-practice case studies) that the company’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic was demonstrated by … “our dedicated and committed team—for whom ending the epidemic is at the heart of everything we do.” Roche also retained the same rank for corporate reputation in 2020 that it had held in 2019—overall 2nd. The company explained its result to PatientView: “To establish a true partnership, it is important for us as an organisation to listen to Patient communities to understand their needs. In recent years communities have expressed their needs to us very clearly; they asked us for early and systematic partnership across the entire Roche organisation, and to simplify our engagement through single points of contact. This approach has been critical through the challenges of an ongoing pandemic. It has meant that we have provided prompt and tailored support for Patient Organisations across the Globe. Whether that be - sharing our learnings as we navigated new digital tools, enabling communication between communities in the virtual setting, or supporting other areas of unmet need.”
Pfizer saw its ranking for corporate reputation increase by three places in 2020, to reach overall 3rd. Pfizer pointed out (in its contribution to PatientView’s best-practice case studies): “We believe our reputation is inextricably linked to our Covid-19 response … to help scientists more rapidly bring forward therapies and vaccines to protect humankind from the escalating Covid-19 pandemic, and prepare the industry to better respond to future global health crises.” Other success stories Companies showing an increase in overall rankings in the PatientView ‘Corporate Reputation of Pharma’ league table, 2019-2020 (as assessed by respondent patient groups familiar with the company) Horizon Therapeutics was included in the company listings for the first time in 2020. Horizon was ranked:
Astellas achieved the largest jump in overall rankings for corporate reputation, as assessed by patient groups familiar with the company. In 2020, Astellas ranked 25th out of 48 companies—an increase of 10 places on its 2019 rank of 35th. PROFILE OF 2020’s RESPONDENT PATIENT GROUPS 1,920 respondent patient groups.
Patient-group partnerships with industry.
The geographic spread of 2020’s respondent patient groups. Numbers of respondent patient groups Geographic remit of 2020’s respondent patient groups Key therapy areas of 2020’s respondent patient groups For further information on this Global report, please use contact details at the head of the press release ~END OF PRESS RELEASE~ |