Lobbying Stalls Generic Drug Legislation

[FreeStateDemocrat]

Source: NYT: AP


By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: November 13, 2007
Filed at 6:34 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Legislation aimed at speeding the availability of cheaper generic drugs has stalled in Congress in the face of major lobbying by the drug industry.

The Senate bill would ban most settlements known as ''reverse payments,'' in which a brand-name company pays a generic manufacturer to delay the introduction of the generic drug. The Federal Trade Commission, which has called on Congress to take action, says such settlements could cost American consumers billions of dollars.

An Associated Press review of lobbying reports, from July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007, found that $38.8 million was spent by at least a dozen generic and brand-name companies and their trade associations on issues including the Senate legislation. The lobbying reports do not specify how much of that money was directed at the reverse payment bill, and they are not required by law to do so.

More than half of those expenses were piled up by the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA, which represents brand-name drug companies. PhRMA spent $19.5 million in the 12-month period ending June 30 on in-house lobbying expenses, an increase of about $3 million over the previous 12-month period.

And the Generic Pharmaceutical Association reported lobbying expenses of around $420,000 for the first six months of this year. It did not report lobbying on the bill in its year-ending 2006 report. The remaining $19 million was spent by a variety of drug companies, including Bayer Corp., Schering-Plough, Pfizer and Teva Pharmaceuticals USA.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Generic-Drug-Lobbying.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

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Democratic corporate whores are owned just like puke corporate whores. Shine some light on this sell out.

[rodeodance]

1. Kohl tried to get a vote on the Senate floor under a procedure known as unanimous consent, but Repub

''Lobbyists have a lot of influence in Washington,'' said the bill's sponsor, Sen. Herb Kohl, who chairs the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust, competition policy and consumer rights. ''If we can just get this to a vote, it will be pretty hard for people to vote against it. A vote against this is a vote against consumers.''

Kohl, D-Wis., also chairs the Senate Special Committee on Aging, where he has pushed for generic drugs as a way for seniors to save money on their medications. Generic drugs are 30 to 80 percent cheaper than brand-name drugs, according to the Generic Pharmaceutical Association.

Kohl has offered the reverse payment legislation for the past two sessions of Congress. This year, House supporters introduced a similar bill, which remains in committee. Neither bill has come up for a vote, although the Senate bill did make it through the Judiciary Committee a few months ago.

In May, Kohl tried to get a vote on the Senate floor under a procedure known as unanimous consent, but Republicans objected. Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., said Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., and others involved with the legislation wanted more time to work on it.

[DCKit]

2. The Purple Pill: Same as the old pill and 10x more expensive 'cause, hey, it's PURPLE!

Dee dee dee!

[pattmarty]

3. I'm afraid what we're gonna see is Democrats being ALMOST as bad as Republicans

[grilled onions]

4. If Only The People Could Vote For Issues...

Instead of the idiots who have their thumb on every important issue while stuffing their bank accounts. We would have little to gain except being able to be able to afford the meds we need without sacrificing everything else. If WE would be able to vote on issue of healthcare,war budgets and THEIR raises the outcome would be very different.