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Ed Silverman, a senior writer and Pharmalot columnist at STAT, has been covering the pharmaceutical industry for nearly three decades. He is also the author of the morning Pharmalittle newsletter and the afternoon Pharmalot newsletter.

The pharmaceutical industry saw its reputation among patient groups inch up last year, but the rise masks fresh concerns about the extent to which some companies are sufficiently focusing on patient needs, according to a new survey.

Of more than 2,400 groups queried, 57% reported that drugmakers had an “excellent” or “good” reputation as they went about the business of developing and providing medicines. That was up a notch from 56% in 2024 and back to the level seen the previous year. Even so, the results place the industry below the 60% rating in 2022.

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The biggest factors contributing to the slight turnabout were patient centricity — which refers to prioritizing patient needs — and ensuring patient safety, according to PatientView, a research firm that canvassed patient groups from 35 countries between December 2025 and March 2026. The firm rated the reputation of 47 companies.

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