Healthy Skepticism Library item: 8977

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: news

McGregor G.
Former Harper adviser now lobbyist for cancer vaccine
Ottawa Citizen 2007 Mar 22
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/politics/story.html?id=02fbac04-bf99-4400-bb1f-cca411bece86&k=36690

Full text:

OTTAWA – A lobbyist with past ties to Prime Minister Stephen Harper was retained last month by the drug company that stands to benefit from a newly announced $300 million in federal funding for a vaccination program to prevent cervical cancer.

Ken Boessenkool, who served as Harper’s senior policy adviser until 2004, registered to lobby the federal government on immunization policy on behalf of Merck Frosst Canada, effective Feb. 17.

On Monday, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced in his budget that Ottawa would make $300 million available to provinces and territories to pay for the costs of vaccinating girls and young women against human papillomavirus (HPV), the leading cause of cervical cancer.

As the manufacturer of Gardasil, the only approved vaccine for HPV in Canada, Merck Frosst appears well-positioned to benefit from the program. Provinces or territories that want to take advantage of the funding for the HPV vaccination programs must go to Merck to buy the vaccine.

It costs about $300 for a course of three injections. There are no generic versions available.

The government’s decision to fund the HPV vaccination surprised some observers, particularly with the negative response from some conservative groups against Merck’s efforts to win support for the vaccine in the U.S. Faced with a strong backlash, the company recently suspended its U.S. lobbying efforts.

In his filings with the Registrar of Lobbyists, Boessenkool listed his potential points of contact as the Prime Minister’s Office, Health Canada, Industry Canada, Privy Council Office and MPs.

Boessenkool works in the Calgary office of the lobbying firm Hill & Knowlton. Merck also retained Hill & Knowlton president Michael Coates to lobby on immunization.

Merck spokesman Vincent Lamoureux said the firm had a specific mandate to lobby the federal government on Gardasil.

“We had a lobbying firm to help us understand the policy process of government,” Lamoureux said.

Merck has worked with Hill & Knowlton for many years, during both Conservative and Liberal government, he said.

Hill & Knowlton also lobbies the Ontario government on HPV vaccination.