PUBLICATION DATE: THURSDAY, JULY 2nd 2020

~ Contact: Alex Wyke ~ Tel: +44-(0)7960-855-019 ~ Email: report@patient-view.com

This is the 1st edition of 'The Corporate Reputation of Pharma - from the Perspective of Canadian Patient Groups'. These 2019 results are drawn from a survey of Canadian patient groups, conducted November 2019 - February 2020.

About the 2019 survey of Canadian patient groups

2019’s 53 respondent Canadian patient groups specialised in 30 different therapy areas.
The 53 Canadian patient groups had the following geographic remits: 6% an international remit; 60% a national remit; 15% regional (an area within Canada); and 19% local.

On Canadian patient-group relationships with pharma

87% of the 53 Canadian patient groups responding to the 2019 survey worked with at least one pharma company.

The companies included for assessment in the 2019 Canada analyses (in alphabetical order):

* Celgene has been included as a separate entity in the 2019 results because the company’s acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb was only completed in November 2019, and the ‘Corporate-Reputation’ survey is intended to reflect the views of patient groups throughout 2019.

A note about COVID-19 and this study’s results

Covid-19 should have a relatively limited impact on many of the results of the PatientView 2019 ‘Corporate-Reputation’ study, because the survey took place (November 2019 to late-February 2020) largely before the crisis became global. However, announcements about Covid-19 by some pharma companies during January and February 2020, may have influenced the views of some patient groups responding to the ‘Corporate-Reputation’ survey during its last two months.

What this report contains

Industry-wide analyses: The report examines the issues of importance to Canadian patient groups, including: levels of industry innovation; access to treatments; transparency of the industry; and drug pricing. Analyses are reinforced by extensive feedback from 2019’s respondent Canadian patient groups [found in Appendix I], organised according to the therapy areas of the respondent patient groups.

Individual company analyses: The 18 pharma companies are reviewed by 2019’s 53 respondent Canadian patient groups for overall corporate reputation, and for performance at 12 individual indicators of corporate reputation.

The 12 indicators used to measure corporate reputation from a patient perspective

Key industry-wide findings

Canadian patient groups were generally positive about pharma and its ability to supply drugs useful to patients ...

Canadian patient groups, like their peers worldwide, were more positive about the reputation of the pharmaceutical industry in 2019 than in 2018. Some 42% of 2019’s respondent Canadian patient groups described the industry’s corporate reputation as “Excellent” or “Good”, compared with 28% saying the same in 2018.

Canadian patient groups clearly appreciate the high-quality products that the pharmaceutical industry can produce. In 2019, as many as 60% of the 53 respondent Canadian patient organisations called the sector “Excellent” or “Good” at this activity. The equivalent figure for patient groups worldwide was 53%.

... Nevertheless, Canadian patient groups believe that industry could do far more to lower drug prices, improve access to medicines, and have fair pricing policies.

Despite many Canadian patient groups being opposed to the Canadian government’s drug-pricing reform of August 2019, these patient groups also believe that pharma’s pricing arrangements are negatively impacting patients. Just 38% of the 53 respondent Canadian patient groups thought pharma “Excellent” or “Good” at ensuring patient access to their medicines; only 10% felt that pharma was “Excellent” or “Good” at having fair pricing policies; and just 17% stated that pharma was “Excellent” or “Good” at being transparent at drug pricing. Several of the Canadian patient groups emphasised these points with comments.

A regional cancer patient group called for greater transparency, stating: “Show figures on pricing in different countries for the same medications, and the methodology behind these pricing decisions.”
HIV/AIDS patient group COCQ-SIDA wanted drugs to reflect the cost of development and production, rather than “what the market will bear”.

The corporate reputation of the pharmaceutical industry, 2019 v. 2018—compared with that of other healthcare sectors (Percentage of respondent Canadian patient groups stating “Excellent” or “Good”)

Key company findings

The results of the Canadian element of the 2019 'Corporate Reputation of Pharma' survey were clearly affected by the battles between the pharmaceutical industry (in particular, specific companies) and Canada's national and provincial governments—battles about the imposition of new regulations to reduce drug prices, as well as the mandated switching of off-patent biologic drugs to cheaper biosimilars.

Many Canadian patient groups were generally aligned with industry in 2019 against the various government proposals. But the high-profile tussle between pharma and state does seem to have negatively impacted Canadian patient-groups’ views of the corporate reputation of some individual companies in 2019.

Pfizer was ranked overall 1st out of 18 companies for corporate reputation in 2019 by the 40 respondent Canadian patient groups familiar with the company. Pfizer was also ranked 1st by its 24 respondent Canadian patient-group partners.

Boehringer Ingelheim was ranked overall 2nd out of 18 companies for corporate reputation in 2019 by the 24 respondent Canadian patient groups familiar with the company. Boehringer was ranked 4th by its 15 respondent Canadian patient-group partners.

Novartis was ranked overall 3rd out of 18 companies for corporate reputation in 2019 by the 40 respondent Canadian patient groups familiar with the company. Novartis was ranked 2nd by its 26 respondent Canadian patient-group partners.

For further information on PatientView's latest publication, ‘The Corporate Reputation of Pharma—from the Perspective of Canadian Patient Groups, 2019’, please use the contact details at the top.

To download the publication's contents, list of tables and charts, and sample materials, please click below:

LINK TO SAMPLE PAGES OF 2019 CANADIAN ANALYSIS

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