My colleague Charles Toutant is up with a fascinating look at how the public perception of pharmaceutical companies changed over the past year and the worries that those changes have sparked among the members of the plaintiffs bar who regularly litigate against drug makers.
It’s worth digging into the full report, but here are my quick takeaways: The Harris Poll reported in February that 62% of Americans gave positive ratings to the pharmaceutical industry, nearly double the 32% positive rating drug companies received just before the pandemic took hold in the U.S. in January of last year. Another pollster, Data for Progress, reported in late March that 56% of Americans had a favorable view of pharmaceutical companies, and 24% had an unfavorable view—a swift and dramatic change from its November 2019 poll finding a 48% favorable view and 38% unfavorable of the same group. A March report by RepTrak said the industry’s reputation boost “had to do with their key role in getting us through the pandemic.”
