The pharmaceutical industry’s reputation among neurology patient groups has undergone a notable transformation, marking the third consecutive year of positive shifts. This evolution is particularly noteworthy given the historically low regard neurology patients had for pharmaceutical companies.
In 2019, a PatientView survey found that only 35% of neurology patient groups viewed the pharmaceutical industry favorably in terms of corporate reputation. However, the tide began to turn in 2020 when the figure climbed to 46%, and this upward trend has persisted ever since.
In the most recent survey conducted from November 2022 to February 2023, a significant 60% of neurology patient groups reported a good or excellent view of the pharmaceutical industry’s reputation. This represents an increase compared to the 2021 figure of 53% and a stark improvement from the industry’s standing just a few years ago.
While these findings indicate positive progress, there remains room for further enhancements. Neurology patients have expressed appreciation for the industry’s capacity to deliver beneficial products and innovation, with 62% and 57% of respondents, respectively, regarding the industry as at least good in these areas. However, concerns persist in other areas, notably pricing, an ongoing point of contention among the surveyed groups. Furthermore, neurology patients expressed reservations about the sharing of clinical data and patient engagement in research and development (R&D), with only 27% and 21% rating these aspects as good or excellent, respectively.
The survey also unveiled the pharmaceutical companies with the most favorable reputations. While Roche maintained its position as the top-ranked company that patient groups are familiar with and have collaborated with, other notable shifts were observed. UCB and Lundbeck ascended to the top three of the “familiar list,” replacing Novartis and Biogen. On the other list, which encompasses companies patient groups have worked with, Horizon Therapeutics and Takeda supplanted Novartis and Pfizer.
This year has marked a remarkable achievement for Horizon Therapeutics in its final year as a standalone company. Earlier in the year, Horizon claimed the title of the most reputable pharmaceutical company in the U.S. and was recognized as the most reputable orphan drug developer. Only Roche managed to prevent Horizon from adding a “No. 1 in neurology” accolade to its achievements.
Now, that honor belongs to Amgen, a company that has been less frequently featured in the upper echelons of the PatientView rankings. Amgen’s recent $27.8 billion acquisition of Horizon has raised questions about whether the teams responsible for acquired products, including Tepezza, can maintain their esteemed status among patients.
This shift in patient perceptions underscores the pharmaceutical industry’s ongoing efforts to improve its reputation and foster positive relationships with patient groups in the neurology field.
