Pharm campaign contributions

[James Love <love@cptech.org>]

  >From Jennifer Shecter's excellent Money in Politics Alert
     jamie
  
  ---------------------------------
     Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 10:50:29 PDT
     From: Jennifer Shecter <JShecter@crp.org>
  
  MONEY IN POLITICS ALERT
  Vol. 3,
  #35                                                                                 
  tel: 202-857-0044, fax: 202-857-7809
  September 29, 1997
  email: info@crp.org, 
  web: www.crp.org
  
  HOT NEW ITEMS ON OUR WEB SITE AT 
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  <snip.
  
  A DRUG FIX. Drug and medical device manufacturers 
  are flying high from full Senate and House 
  Commerce Committee passage of legislation that 
  speeds up the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 
  approval process for their products. 
  Pharmaceutical companies have lobbied Congress for 
  several years to change FDA's review process. They 
  might just get what they want because legislation 
  to overhaul the FDA is tied this year to renewal 
  of a popular measure that requires the 
  prescription drug industry to help fund FDA 
  operations. The provision expires this week.
          Drug and medical device manufacturers 
  support Congress's FDA proposals, including one 
  that allows them to pay accredited organizations 
  suggested by the FDA to review their products 
  rather than go through the agency itself. Drug 
  companies also successfully lobbied for a 
  provision that permits them to distribute 
  information to the health care community about 
  second uses of FDA-approved drugs -- uses that 
  have not gotten the agency's green light. Another 
  measure would no longer require the FDA to track 
  life-sustaining devices after they reach the 
  market. 
          One of the biggest disputes revolves around 
  whether or not the Food and Drug Administration 
  should be able to test a medical device for 
  purposes other than the intended use on the 
  device's label. The House and Senate versions of 
  the bill conflict in how much discretion to give 
  the FDA in performing such tests.
          Consumer groups such as Public Citizen are 
  strongly opposed to the FDA legislation, claiming 
  that the proposals to speed up the drug and 
  medical device review and approval process are 
  extremely damaging to consumers and offer no 
  public health protections. The pharmaceutical 
  industry argues that a streamlined approval 
  process will allow patients quicker access to 
  life-saving devices and drugs.
          Drug and medical device manufacturer PACs 
  distributed more than $848,000 to federal 
  candidates in the first six months of 1997, 68 
  percent to Republicans. On average they 
  distributed $15,087 a week to senate candidates, but during 
  the week between June 11 and June 18, 1997 -- the 
  time between the two meetings of the Senate Labor 
  and Human Resources Committee on FDA legislation -
  - drug and medical device manufacturer PACs gave 
  $39,000 to members of the Senate. The month by 
  month breakdown of the industry's contributions 
  highlight an increase in their giving when FDA 
  debate heated up.
  
  TRAVEL PLANS. According to House employee travel 
  disclosure forms, Silicon Valley Medical Device 
  Manufacturers paid $2,144 for one of Rep. Michael 
  Bilirakis's (R-Fla) staffers to go to San Jose, 
  Calif. "to educate congressional staff about the 
  medical device industry." Bilirakis is Chairman of 
  the House Commerce Health & Environment 
  Subcommittee -- which has jurisdiction over 
  speeding up FDA approval of medical devices.
  
  Top Drug & Medical Device Manufacturer PACs, Jan. 
  Through June 1997*
  Rank    Company                 Amount          Dems            Repubs
  1       Glaxo Wellcome          $107,305        $25,625         $81,680
  2       Pfizer Inc              $84,250         $23,250         $61,000
  3       Merck & Co              $76,630         $25,899         50,731
  4       Bristol-Myers Squibb    $66,500         $20,000         $46,500
  5       Abbott Laboratories     $65,377         $18,000         $47,377
  6       Ciba-Geigy Corp**       $44,000         $8,000          $36,000
  7       SmithKline Beecham      $39,000         $13,000         $26,000
  8       Schering-Plough Corp    $36,000         $11,000         $25,000
  9       Hoffmann-La Roche       $33,099         $9,499          $23,600
  10      Genentech Inc           $30,000         $16,000         $14,000
  *PAC contributions are based on data downloaded 
  from the Federal Election Commission on 
  9/1/97 and are inclusive from Jan.1, 1997 through 
  June 30, 1997.
  ** Includes affiliates
  
  Drug & Medical Device Manufacturer PAC 
  Contributions, By Month, Jan. Through June 1997
  Month                                   PAC Contributions
  January                                 $38,732
  February                                $98,588
  March                                   $176,757
  April                                   $163,595
  May                                     $147,529
  June - 
  Debate on FDA legislation begins        $210,688
  
  
  Prepared by Jennifer Shecter
  
  
  
  
  
  -- 
  James Love | Center for Study of Responsive Law
  P.O. Box 19367 | Washington, DC 20036 | http://www.cptech.org
  voice 202.387.8030 | fax 202.234.5176 | love@cptech.org