The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America has cut its ties with 14 of the firms handling its state and regional PR as part of a wide-ranging review of its contractors. PhRMA senior vice president, communications Ken Johnson said that while he will not rule out an eventual consolidation, for the moment, the group is just assessing its needs and vendor relationships. “All we’re trying to do right now is to make certain that we’re getting value out of our contractors,” said Johnson. “Over the course of the review, it has become clear that a number of our contractors were being underutilized, and so we ended those relationships.” Among the firms pitching for PhRMA business are Edelman, APCO Worldwide and Hill & Knowlton. Fleishman-Hillard, previously in the running, has dropped out due to a client conflict.