Healthy Skepticism Library item: 13198

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

US drug industry spent $22m (£11m; 14m) on lobbying in 2007
BMJ 2008 Mar 8; 336:(7643):524
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/336/7643/524

Abstract:

US drug industry spent $22m (£11m; 14m) on lobbying in 2007: Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, which represents pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, increased its spending on lobbying the federal government in 2007 by 25% from the previous year’s figure. Last year it lobbied Congress to expand children’s health insurance and against a proposal that would have allowed the government to negotiate drug prices for elderly people. It also lobbied against legislation that would have allowed imports of cheaper drugs from Canada, reforms that would have weakened patent protection on drugs, and an overhaul of the drug safety programme of the Food and Drug Administration.