[Ip-health] Healthcare lobbying at all-time high & 3 Pharma groups in top 5

[Sarah Rimmington]

FiercePharma, September 19, 2007

Pharma lobbies big-time in '07

When Congress turns to healthcare, healthcare turns to lobbying--and
pharma is no exception. During the first half of 2007, the healthcare
industry spent $227 million on lobbying, an all-time high. Of the 10
groups that spent most, five were healthcare organizations. Three of
those were pharma types: PhRMA (the industry trade group), Pfizer and
Amgen. PhRMA spent $10.7 million, and Amgen shelled out $9.1 million.

Capitol Hill observers say the dollars probably were aimed at the State
Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, which Congress is still
in the throes of renewing. For its part, PhRMA said it spent lots of
green to trumpet the "success of Medicare Part D." (That includes a new
report that shows monthly drug costs for the previously uncovered fell
45 percent under Part D.) Plus, a number of seats in Congress changed
hands, so there were lots of new palms to grease.

- see this article in Congressional Quarterly:
http://public.cq.com/docs/hb/hbnews110-000002585480.html
- read the Wall Street Journal report:
http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2007/09/18/drug-study-medicare-benefit-works-industry-says/

--
Sarah Rimmington
Attorney
Essential Action, Access to Medicines Project
Washington, DC
Tel: (202) 387-8030
Cell: (202) 422-2687
www.essentialaction.org/access/