Different types of cancer patient groups can hold very different views of pharma

Cancer patient groups on pharma’s corporate reputation …

The big theme of this report is how cancer patient groups vary in their perspectives on pharma (and its activities).

We are pleased to publish the results of the 2017 (6th) edition of ‘The Corporate Reputation of Pharma—from the Perspective of Cancer Patient Groups’. The report highlights the differing perspectives of the various types of cancer patient groups, including:

• The entire respondent body of 262 cancer patient groups. This category represents the average view of cancer patient groups.

• Umbrella cancer patient groups, and cancer patient groups that concentrate on all types of cancer.

• Patient groups that specialise in blood cancers.

• Patient groups that specialise in breast cancer. And ...
• Patient groups that specialise in prostate cancer.

The companies analysed in this report:

AbbVie I Allergan I Amgen I Astellas I AstraZeneca I Bayer I Biogen I Boehringer I. I Bristol-Myers Squibb I Celgene I Eisai I Eli Lilly I Ferring I Gilead I GSK  I Ipsen I Janssen I LEO Pharma I Merck & Co I Merck KGaA I Novartis I Otsuka I Pfizer I Pierre Fabre I Roche (Genentech in the US) I Sanofi I Servier I Shire I Takeda I Teva.

MAJOR FINDINGS

To begin with, cancer patient groups take a very different view of the corporate reputation of the pharma industry, according to the variant of cancer in which they specialise. As the chart below shows, cancer patient groups that specialise in bowel cancers take a more positive view of the pharma industry’s corporate reputation than patient groups specialising in other forms of cancer—with 70% of bowel-cancer patient groups stating that the industry had an “Excellent” or “Good” corporate reputation in 2017. At the other—pessimistic—end of the scale are umbrella cancer patient groups and cancer patient groups with a remit to cover all types of cancer; just 38.1% of these stated that the pharma industry had an “Excellent” or “Good” corporate reputation in 2017.

CHART 1 The percentage of cancer patient groups of different specialties saying that the pharmaceutical industry as a whole had an “Excellent” or “Good” corporate reputation, 2017 [the numbers in square brackets are the numbers of respondent patient groups per cancer therapy area]

Note:

• The chart below compares the views of respondent cancer patient groups, according to their specialism.
• A total of 262 cancer patient groups worldwide responded to the survey.
• The phrase ‘Cancer: all types’ refers to patient groups stating that they were involved in all types of cancers. Such patient groups include umbrella cancer patient groups.
• Although only small numbers of respondent cancer patient groups specialised in thyroid cancer (six in total) or lung cancer (also six), the results of the two specialties are included in the chart below, as a point of interest.

By looking at the comments from 2017’s respondent cancer patient groups, further differences can be found among the cancer patient groups, such as:

• Geographic inequities, including a failure to conduct clinical trials in particular geographic locations. Or, again, an inability to adapt to different geographic healthcare systems, cultures, and patient perspectives (for instance, the provision of patient information in local languages). And a lack of local management interest in issues of patient centricity.

• In addition, some cancer patient groups felt disenfranchised by pharma’s lack of interest in their particular cancer subject area. A significant number of children’s-cancers patient groups mentioned the issue. For instance: an international children’s-cancers patient group from Italy wrote ... “Progress is being made for everyone, except children … In the 36 years of our association, no pharmaceutical company has ever contacted us directly. We grant contracts to doctors and to biologists, we fund research, we train volunteers, we provide high-level care and assistance, but we have never been contacted.”

However, cancer patient groups also proposed some solutions to help tackle these underlying problems.

• First, and foremost, some cancer patient groups argued for greater consensus building, not only between pharma and patient groups, but also with other healthcare stakeholders—even politicians, according to the Leukämiehilfe Rhein-Main e.V., a German blood-cancers patient group, which wrote: “Convene regular round tables (meetings) with multidisciplinary participants. You need everyone involved to be sitting at one table—including politicians—in order to gear projects towards patients, and achieve results.” And an international cancer patient group from the United Kingdom wrote: “Patients and industry have a shared interest in showing that products work. So, we need to work to a shared and agreed approach”. The patient group specifically referred to shared agreements on real-world data, and a shift toward ‘real-people’ clinical trials.
• Another way forward, called for by many cancer patient groups, is greater feedback—for example, about new drug developments, and clinical trials.

Furthermore, cancer patient groups noted that …

•  Products need to be tailored to minimise side effects, and to improve patients’ quality of life.
• Patient information needs to be more comprehensible to ordinary patients. Similarly, contracts addressing, say, patient inclusion in clinical trials, should be less legalistic in terminology.
• Clinical trials—particularly for the treatments of rare cancers—should include children.

Which individual companies topped the corporate-reputation rankings among cancer patient groups in 2017?

Individual pharma companies will find that their rankings at the 12 indicators of corporate reputation varied significantly, according to the type of cancer patient group assessing them. Three other factors may bring a bearing on company rankings:

1. The cancer specialty of the company (or whether the company runs a diversified cancer portfolio).
2. Whether the company is experienced or new to the field of cancer. And ...
3. Whether the company has increased or reduced its investment in all or some aspects of oncological medicine.

Whatever the reason, it is striking how much influence the varying nature of cancer patient-group specialties has on individual company rankings at corporate reputation. Nevertheless, three companies dominate the top ranks for corporate reputation in cancer: Janssen, Novartis, and Pfizer.