Drugs

Pharma Most ‘Poorly Regarded’ Industry: Gallup

The drug industry has dropped to the bottom of the Gallup Poll’s annual Work and Education Poll, taking that position away from the federal government in terms of its net-positive score. Pharma received a 27% total positive ranking, 15% neutral, and 58% total negative, for a -31 net positive. Gallup says the federal government has been last or tied for last from 2011 through 2018, and is now next to last, just above pharma.

“The healthcare industry’s negative ratings also exceeded its positive ratings by double digits,” Gallup says, “while the advertising and public relations industry’s net rating is barely negative” (-1 net positive). The restaurant industry was rated most positively with a +58 net positive ranking.

“Americans’ net ratings for the pharmaceutical industry have never been lower since Gallup first polled on industries in 2001,” the poll says. “Over the past 19 years, few industries have been rated lower than the pharmaceutical industry’s current -31 net rating. These include the federal government and the oil and gas, real estate, and automobile industries.”

Gallup says the ratings drop comes amid a range of criticisms of industry norms, from generating the highest drug costs in the world to spending massive amounts on lobbying politicians to the industry’s role in the U.S. opioid crisis.

Meanwhile, the poll says, the images of electric/gas utilities and the oil and gas industries were at new highs, with the utilities receiving a net-positive score of +23 and the oil and gas industry at +3, its first positive score in the trend.

Gallup says the pharmaceutical industry can hope to recover in the way other industries have after particularly negative ratings. “As the opioid epidemic rages on,” it says, “and as the actors involved in creating it continue to experience lawsuits, protests, and public shaming, it may be hard for the pharmaceutical industry to make a comeback just yet. The industry’s rating likely will not recover until its role in the opioid epidemic is addressed, and the political pressure on the industry for high prices and massive profits subsides.”

Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton’s responses on vaccines, contraception and abortion medication during her 9/24 Senate confirmation hearing raise concerns that ideology could influence her decision-making if she takes over the agency, MSNBC senior medical analyst Dr. Vin Gupta said Friday. Gupta was particularly critical of Overton’

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton emerged from her Senate confirmation hearing Thursday (see earlier story) without resolving questions about whether she has enough Republican support to advance — and with a rapidly narrowing window for confirmation before the midterm elections. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing provided few

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA has classified Boston Scientific's recall of its Imager II Angiographic Catheters as Class I because a manufacturing problem could cause catheter tips to degrade and detach, potentially resulting in life-threatening complications. The agency announced the Class I classification 9/25, updating an Early Alert it issued

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome

FDA has approved Roche’s Gazyva (obinutuzumab) for reducing the risk of relapse in adults and children aged 2 and older with frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent, childhood-onset idiopathic nephrotic syndrome who are in remission. The expanded approval covers the use of the CD20-directed antibody beyond its existing

Read more

Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome