The pharmaceutical industry's main trade group spent more than $3.6 million lobbying the federal government in the first quarter, according to a recent disclosure form.
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, whose members include Pfizer, Amgen Inc. and Eli Lilly & Co., lobbied on how prices are set for seniors' medications, rules governing drug imports and other issues.
The drug industry, consistently one of the top spenders in Washington, has faced a host of proposals unfriendly to its interests since Democrats regained control of Congress in 2006.
According to a lobbying disclosure form filed April 21, the trade group advocated against:
_ A proposal 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, has stalled in the House since President Bush threatened to veto it.
_ Legislation that would allow the U.S. to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada and other foreign countries. Proponents said foreign competition would help drive down U.S. drug prices, but the pharmaceutical industry warned it could expose Americans to counterfeit medications.
_ 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 the pharmaceutical lobby argued it could weaken protections by reducing infringement penalties. The bill has stalled in the Senate.
_ Various bills that would allow generic drug companies to sell cheaper copies of biotech drugs. Unlike traditional chemical drugs, biotech drugs have never faced generic competition because the Food and Drug Administration lacks authority to approve the cheaper copies.
The generic drug industry believes biotech drugs should receive no more than five years of market exclusivity before a generic can launch. But branded drug makers say biotech drugs must have at least 12 years of exclusivity. Efforts to reach a compromise are slowly developing in the House.
Former Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-La., is president and chief executive of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.
Among those who also lobbied on the group's behalf were: Mimi Kneuer, 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.
Besides Congress, the trade group lobbied the FDA, Department of Health and Human Services, and other agencies in the first three months of the year.
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