Officials from two major pharmaceutical companies—GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca—have accepted that the public needs more openness from the industry.

Dr John Patterson, executive vice president for product strategy, licensing, and business development at AstraZeneca (UK) and Eddie Gray, senior vice president and general manager at GlaxoSmithKline Pharma (UK), were among the witnesses questioned by the House of Commons health select committee last week. They were giving evidence as part of the committee's ongoing inquiry into the influence of the pharmaceutical industry in the United Kingdom.

“There is a feeling that expectations have shifted,” said Mr Gray. “It's like trying to catch a train that is already moving,” he admitted.

Both accepted …