PUBLICATION DATE: TUESDAY, JUNE 23rd 2020

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

This is the 7th edition of 'The Corporate Reputation of Pharma - from the Perspective of HIV/AIDS Patient Groups'. The 2019 results are drawn from a survey of HIV/AIDS patient groups, conducted November 2019 - February 2020.

About the 2019 survey of HIV/AIDS patient groups

2019’s 141 respondent HIV/AIDS patient groups came from 39 countries.

The 141 HIV/AIDS patient groups had the following geographic remits: 9% an international remit; 45% an national remit; 27% regional (an area within one country); and 18% local.

On HIV/AIDS patient-group relationships with pharma

82% of the 141 HIV/AIDS patient groups responding to the 2019 survey worked with at least one pharma company.

The companies included for assessment in the 2019 HIV/AIDS analyses (in alphabetical order):

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 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 HIV/AIDS 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 HIV/AIDS patient groups [found in Appendix I], organised according to the country headquarters of the respondent patient groups.

Individual company analyses: The 9 pharma companies are reviewed by 2019’s 141 respondent HIV/AIDS 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

In 2019, HIV/AIDS patient groups took a more negative view of the corporate reputation of the pharmaceutical industry, compared with patient organisations of other specialties. Some 39% of 2019’s 141 respondent HIV/AIDS patient groups thought that the pharma industry had an “Excellent” or “Good” corporate reputation, ranking pharma 3rd out of nine healthcare sectors. The equivalent figure reported by patient groups worldwide was 46%—ranking pharma 1st. HIV/AIDS patient groups nominated generic drug manufacturers as 1st in 2019, with 49% of the HIV/AIDS patient groups describing that sector's corporate reputation as “Excellent” or “Good”. These results probably reflect the ongoing concerns that HIV/AIDS advocacy groups have with the pricing arrangements of prophylactic drugs (for the prevention of HIV transmission, and the treatment of HIV/AIDS). Advocates argue that the unnecessary maintenance of high prices has led to profound health inequalities.

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

The Thailand-based Asia Pacific Council of AIDS Service Organizations (APCASO) defines how pharmaceutical companies could improve, and be more patient centric

“Shift the approach by treating anyone desperate to return to health as people, and not patients. If they can do that, and come down to the ground to understand the real value of the drugs they manufacture on the lives and livelihood of people, they will be more likely to connect with the individuals through whom they will likely make a profit. Building a business model that protects the beneficiaries of your products is not a difficult one to see and make with a person-centred approach.”

On the quality of pharma products: The majority of HIV/AIDS patient groups responding to the 2019 ‘Corporate-Reputation’ survey clearly believed that the pharmaceutical industry is adept at making products of benefit to patients. As many as 66% of 2019’s 141 respondent HIV/AIDS patient groups stated that the pharma industry was “Excellent” or “Good” at this activity. The equivalent figure for 2018’s HIV/AIDS respondents was 57%. In July 2019, renewed efforts to develop a HIV vaccine were announced at the 10th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science.

On drug pricing: The 2019 survey found the main areas of discord between HIV/AIDS patient groups and pharma to be drug pricing, and access to medicines. As in previous years (and in common with patient groups of other therapy areas), the vast majority of 2019’s respondent HIV/AIDS patient groups rated the industry low for transparency in pricing, and low for having fair pricing policies—with just a minority (12%) calling the industry “Excellent” or “Good” at either. The resentment is tangible; one local US-based HIV/AIDS group noted: “Predatory pricing is rampant in the industry. Often, it’s insidious—taking annual incremental price increases on long-approved drugs, increasing the overall cost of healthcare.”

Percentage of respondent patient groups stating that the pharmaceutical industry was “Excellent” or “Good” at ensuring patient access to medicine, 2019—by therapy area [Figure in brackets equals number of respondent patient groups]

Just 30% of 2019’s 141 respondent HIV/AIDS patient groups stated that the industry was “Excellent” or “Good” at ensuring access to medicines. Although the figure is low, most patient groups from other therapy areas ranked the pharma industry lower still for this measure [see chart, left].

Key company findings

ViiV Healthcare was ranked overall 1st out of 9 companies in 2019 by the 118 respondent HIV/AIDS patient groups familiar with the company. ViiV Healthcare has headed the HIV/AIDS league table since 2013, when PatientView first undertook an HIV/AIDS analysis. ViiV Healthcare was also ranked 1st in 2019 for 11 of the 12 indicators of corporate reputation. The exception was the provision of high-quality products of benefit to patients, for which Gilead was ranked 1st.
Gilead Sciences was ranked overall 2nd in 2019 by the 128 respondent HIV/AIDS patient groups that claimed familiarity with the company.
Janssen was ranked overall 3rd in 2019 by the 99 respondent HIV/AIDS patient groups claiming familiarity with it. Janssen was one of the companies that announced progress in the development of an HIV/AIDS vaccine in 2019.

For further information on PatientView's latest publication, ‘The Corporate Reputation of Pharma—from the Perspective of HIV/AIDS 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 HIV/AIDS ANALYSIS

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