[Ip-health] Drug Trade Group Spent More Than 22M Lobbying US G in 07, a 25% increase

[Sarah Rimmington]

Thanks to pharmalot.com for the tip...
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080221/drug_industry_lobbying.html?.v=1

AP
Drug Trade Group Spent $22M Lobbying
Thursday February 21, 12:32 pm ET
By Matthew Perrone, AP Business Writer
Drug Industry Group Spent More Than $22M Lobbying Gov't in '07, a 25
Percent Increase

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The pharmaceutical industry's main trade group spent
more than $22 million lobbying the federal government in 2007, a 25
percent boost from the year before that paid off on some key issues.

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Proposals aimed at lowering drug prices and restricting industry
advertising fell by the wayside in Congress. But lobbying experts say
the road ahead for the industry looks increasingly bumpy.

"This seems to be a case where the increase in lobbying activity is
defensive, not offensive," said Massie Ritsch of the Center for
Responsive Politics, a government watchdog.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, whose members
include Pfizer, Amgen Inc. and Eli Lill& Co., spent about $12 million in
the second half of 2007 to lobby on how prices are set for seniors'
medications, rules governing drug imports and other issues, according to
lobbying disclosure records filed last week.

Ken Johnson, a senior vice president at the trade group, said that while
the industry faced many challenges on Capitol Hill last year, most of
the increased spending went toward advertisements urging Congress to
reauthorize a program that provides health care to poor children.

Democrats and Republicans agreed early in the year that the program must
be reauthorized, though they continue to wrangle over its future size.

"We would like to see every person in America have health insurance,"
Johnson said. President Bush has twice vetoed efforts to add 6 million
to 10 million children to the program over the next five years.

The drug industry, consistently one of the top spenders in Washington,
has long faced criticism from some lawmakers over the safety and price
of its products. But beginning late in 2006, after the Democrats
regained control of Congress, drug makers faced a slew of proposals
unfriendly to their interests.

The industry trade group advocated against:

-- a proposal by House Democrats that would have allowed the government
-- not private health insurers -- to negotiate drug prices for seniors
in Medicare. The measure, aimed at wringing lower prices from drug
makers, stalled in the House after President Bush threatened to veto it.

-- legislation that would allow the U.S. to import cheaper prescription
drugs from Canada and other foreign countries, citing safety concerns.
Import proponents said foreign competition would help drive down U.S.
drug prices. The issue failed to gain traction in Congress, despite
several high-profile hearings.

-- patent-reform legislation that it argued could weaken legal
protections on drug patents. High-tech companies supported the bill that
passed the House last year aimed at improving the U.S. patent system,
but PhRMA argued it could weaken patent protections by reducing
infringement penalties. The bill is still pending in the Senate.

-- a bill overhauling the Food and Drug Administration's drug-safety
system. The legislation, which became law last September, gave FDA new
powers to update drug safety labeling and monitor side effects after
drugs are approved.

But the final bill did not include restrictions on direct-to-consumer
advertising opposed by the drug industry.

Former Louisiana Rep. Billy Tauzin is the pharmaceutical industry trade
group's president and chief executive.

PhRMA's other registered lobbyists include: Mimi Kneuer, who was
Tauzin's former chief of staff, Amy Efantis, former legislative director
for Rep. Artur Davis, D-Ala., Valerie Jewett, former legislative
director for Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., and Matt Sulkala, who
was senior legislative assistant to Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Fla.

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