If you put credence in Swiss firm Covalence's annual ethics rankings, yes, GSK, BMS, and J&J are the most ethical companies in the Pharmaceuticals and Biotech sector. The list looks like this:
1. GSK
2. BMS
3. J&J
4. Abbott
5. Novartis
6. Roche
7. Boehringer Ingelheim
8. Astra Zeneca
9. Pfizer
10. Merck
Ten different sectors were ranked, and none of the pharma companies ranked in the top 10 companies overall. Criteria used to determine "ethical" behavior include environmental policies, humanitarian work, labor standards, wages, product human benefit or risk, etc. (45 in all). Qualitative data from various media, NGO's and other sources is used.
How much faith do you put in these numbers? Do those of you from Lilly, Wyeth, Amgen, Genentech, Baxter, and (your company's name here) agree?
--PWT
