Regulatory headaches replace patent pain, KPMG finds

If there is any benefit to be found by pharma executives in the tightening grip of Congress and regulators that they perceive, it might be that it has taken their minds off patent losses. Or so the latest KPMG Pharmaceutical Outlook Survey suggests. In last year's survey, executives noted patent losses as the biggest hurdle to growth. This year, 60% say regulatory and legislative roadblocks are, and 50% say it is regulations and enforcement. In particular, there is uncertainty about pricing, fines and reporting requirements, the survey says. Of course in the U.S., everyone is awaiting the Supreme Court's ruling on the healthcare law and what the fallout will mean for the industry, the Philadelphia Inquirer points out. In other parts of the world, problematic economies are resulting in governments slashing drug use and payments. As for the job picture, 26% expect headcount to remain stable this year, 20% say it will go down slightly and 18% that it will go up. Story | More