[Ip-health] A record year for the Pharma lobby on Capitol Hill

[Sarah Rimmington]

WSJ Health Blog
Which Drug Companies Spend the Most on Lobbying?
http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/06/24/which-drug-companies-spend-the-most-=
on-lobbying/

Posted By Jacob Goldstein On June 24, 2008 @ 1:22 pm In Congress, Drugs,
FDA | 2 Comments

The big health-policy debates roiling Washington are still up in the
air, but it=92s already clear who the big winners are: Lobbyists.

The pharmaceutical industry spent $168 million on lobbying last year, up
32% from the year before, says a report out today from the nonprofit
Center for Public Integrity [To see a summary and/or the full report, go
to http://www.publicintegrity.org/rx/report.aspx?aid=3D985]. Over the past
decade, the drug and device industries have collectively spent more than
$1 billion on lobbying, the group said.

Mining lobbying-disclosure documents, the report cites a number of
issues the drug industry (a far bigger lobby than the device industry)
has been working on, including blocking the re-importation of drugs from
other countries, expanding the government=92s program to insure low-income
children and extending the Prescription Drug User Fee Act.

PhRMA, the pharmaceutical industry=92s trade group, was the biggest
spender at $22.7 million. The Biotechnology Industry Organization spent
$7.2 million. The rest was ponied up by individual companies.

The table below lists the biggest corporate players. Amgen comes in at
No. 1, punching well above its body weight. Given all the important
policy questions over the use of the anemia drugs that are crucial to
Amgen=92s success, it=92s no surprise the company is pouring money into
Washington.

Article printed from Health Blog: http://blogs.wsj.com/health

URL to article:
http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/06/24/which-drug-companies-spend-the-most-=
on-lobbying/


Big spenders
Drug company lobbying, 2007
Amgen - $16.3mil.
Pfizer - $13.8
Roche - $9.0
Sanofi-Aventis $8.4
GSK $8.2
J&J $7.7
Novartis $6.6
Merck $6.6
B-M Squibb $6.0
Abbott Labs $4.6

Source: The Center for Public Integrity








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