Majority Of Patients’ Groups Lack Trust In Pharma Firms: PatientView

Alexandra Wyke, head of PatientView, said many patients’ groups, majority in the US, had expressed concerns about soaring drug prices and lack of patient assistance programmes to low income groups.

According to the survey, patient groups were unhappy with the insufficient information given to them on results of clinical trials of new drugs and about early-stage trials. They have expressed their willingness to participate in the trials if informed early.

Despite of recent efforts by the pharma industry to provide more information on clinical trials, and funding to doctors and patient groups in recent months, almost 55% of the patient groups were of the opinion that there was no real increase in transparency over the past year.

Only 37% of the surveyed 665 organisations considered the industry as trustworthy in 2008, with less than a quarter noticing any improvement since then, said the survey which monitors the views of patient groups around the world.

European groups were rated highly by these organisations, while US and UK businesses were less well judged. The organisations have rated Novartis of Switzerland as the best and US based Baxter worst, the survey revealed.

Analysts are of the opinion that the ratings would affect the drug sector, which is facing concerns over patient access to treatments due to rising unemployment and cutbacks in medical care in the recession.

Wim Leereveld, head of the Access to Medicines Index, which is releasing an alternative ranking system in June, warned that patients’ views should not be taken in isolation as these perceptions are sometimes wrong. Stressing the broader nature of his index, he agreed the sector is relatively transparent compared with other industries.