Hoffman-LaRoche has decided to end its relationship with PhRMA, the industry's largest and most influential lobbying group, in favor of BIO, the biotech industry organization. The move speaks volumes about not just Roche's plans for the future and how it wants to be seen and represented, but also about the ongoing shift of the industry's power base from big Pharma to biopharma.

Last week, PhRMA's annual meeting in San Antonio brought some unexpected comments on government involvement from the organization's outgoing and incoming chairmen. Merck CEO Richard Clark expanded on the subject he addressed last year: the industry's need to regain the public's trust, while incoming chair AstraZeneca CEO David Brennan, touched on the need for government involvement, specifically mentioning the importance of a stronger, well-funded FDA.

A new report conducted by doctors at the University of California-San Francisco claims that pharmaceutical companies are still not being transparent in the reporting of their clinical trials, finding that some are up to five times more likely to report positive findings than negative.