Biopharma ESG Rankings Are Hamstrung by Drug Pricing, Litigation

At a time when Covid-19 is highlighting drug and vaccine developers’ potential value to society, Barclays in new research this week found many biopharma companies tend to be surprisingly average or less so when it comes to criteria tracked for ESG investing.

Drug pricing and accessibility issues as well as litigation over opioids, glyphosate and generic-price fixing manifest the challenges faced by the industry, according to a special July 9 report from Barclays analysts based in New York and London. Balancing the aim of running their businesses ethically “with the desire for stronger profitability is an unenviable challenge and one that will take time to address,” the analysts wrote.