COVID-19 has made little positive impact on public perceptions of pharma, report suggests
London, UK. 11 December 2020: A report launched today by pharmaceutical company Takeda UK reveals that, despite heightened public and media attention on the industry’s efforts to develop vaccines and treatments, the COVID-19 pandemic has had little positive impact on perceptions of pharmaceutical companies.
The Pharma: Repurposed? report explores the importance of ‘purpose’ to the pharmaceutical industry and provides recommendations on how the sector can convey a stronger purpose to build trust and ultimately improve the lives of patients.
For the report, Takeda UK commissioned Ipsos MORI to conduct online interviews among adults ages 16-75 from the United Kingdom. A total of 1104 interviews were conducted in October 2020 and key findings include:
Jon Neal, MD UK and Ireland at Takeda, said: “The pharmaceutical industry has faced several reputational challenges over the years. However, perhaps now more than ever, the development of new treatments relies on cross-sector collaborations and public trust and willingness to engage with the sector. Therefore, we need to address perceptions of the industry to improve the future of healthcare and ultimately save lives.
“We hope this report will lead to further discussion about how the industry can convey a stronger purpose to build trust with both patients and other healthcare organisations. Employees in pharma companies such as Takeda are completely committed to improving the lives of patients and yet this research shows our commitment to patients and our purpose is not widely understood or accepted. We need to do more and I hope this report will lead to further discussion and opportunities to work with others from across the industry to increase understanding of our role in society and how we operate.”
Ben Page, Chief Executive of Ipsos MORI, commented: “Our research with Takeda suggests that the public have a higher opinion of roles or organisations that articulate a strong purpose around their role in and value to society. The pharmaceutical industry has historically struggled to clearly articulate what it does and what it stands for. If the sector wants to better connect with the public, it needs to start talking much more openly about its activities and values.”
The Pharma: Repurposed? provides tangible recommendations for pharmaceutical companies looking to define and communicate a strong purpose. These include:
To read the full report, click here.
About the Pharma: Repurposed? report
The Pharma: Repurposed report was developed and funded by Takeda UK. The report has no promotional intent. Takeda does not intend to encourage the use of, or advocate the promotion of, its products through the objectives of this project or by any of the participants.
Polling for UK adults survey was carried out online by Ipsos MORI on behalf of Takeda UK. It surveyed a quota sample of 1104 adults in the United Kingdom aged 16-75 using its online I:Omnibus between 9th and 12th October 2020. Data has been weighted to the known offline population proportions for this audience by age within gender, government office region, working status and social grade.
Takeda UK Press Office
Freeha Rafiq
Email: freeha.rafiq@takeda.com
Tel: 07500 953471
Hanover Communications
Jo Holden
Email: takeda@hanovercomms.com
Tel: 020 3817 6605
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited is headquartered in Japan and is a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader committed to translating science into highly-innovative medicines. Takeda focuses its R&D efforts on four therapeutic areas: Oncology, Gastroenterology (GI), Neuroscience and Rare Diseases. We also make targeted R&D investments in Plasma-Derived Therapies and Vaccines. We are focusing on developing highly innovative medicines that contribute to making a difference in people's lives by advancing the frontier of new treatment options and leveraging our enhanced collaborative R&D engine and capabilities to create a robust pipeline. Our employees are committed to improving quality of life for patients and to working with our partners in health care in approximately 80 countries and regions.
Additional information about Takeda UK Ltd. is available through its corporate website, www.takeda.com/en-gb.