Big Pharma Spending On Lobbying Exponentially. The Center for Public Integrity, a Washington, DC-based watchdog group, said that big pharmaceutical’s spending on lobbying increased exponentially and in a coincidence with the Democratic control of Congress in 2007. The group reported that drug companies spent a massive $168 million on drug lobbying last year, which is […]
Big Pharma Spending On Lobbying Exponentially. The Center for Public Integrity, a Washington, DC-based watchdog group, said that big pharmaceutical’s spending on lobbying increased exponentially and in a coincidence with the Democratic control of Congress in 2007.
The group reported that drug companies spent a massive $168 million on drug lobbying last year, which is up a whopping 32% from 2006. Those expensive efforts paid off a number of issues important to drug makers and issues the law firm of Parker Waichman has reported on on numerous occasions. For instance, last year alone, big pharmaceutical:
The report also notes that the pharmaceutical lobby’s focus includes blocking the importation of inexpensive foreign drugs and protecting drug patents in the U.S. and overseas. Interesting, given that industry has been under constant, recent attack over a lapse in safety measures for its foreign outsourcing of drug manufacturing and for serious health issues related to its imports from foreign countries, such as China.
Also, of note, the pharmaceutical and health-products industry—for the first time—gave a more to Democrats over Republicans, a change from 2006 when Democrats received a mere 31% of that industry’s contributions. Traditionally, Democrats in Congress have been less friendly to drug corporations as have drug makers been to Democrats.
Last year’s big lobbying spenders included some big name drug makers which have been linked to a number of controversies and lawsuits over serious drug reactions, deaths, and false advertising issues:
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