Patient groups say drugmakers lagging

Only about a third of patient-centered groups responding to a worldwide survey said multinational drugmakers had a good or excellent reputation.

The survey, by a United Kingdom-based organization known as PatientView, placed Pfizer Inc., which has a large research presence in Groton, at No. 5 on the list of well-respected global companies, down three notches from where it stood last year.

Companies were ranked based on patient-centeredness; informativeness; safety; useful products; transparency; and integrity.

Among the biggest complaints about drug firms were their failure to help less wealthy patients; emphasizing drugs with only short-term health benefits, and research neglect regarding rare diseases.