PhRMA Spends $6.3 Lobbying In Fourth Quarter, Slight Increase From Year Before

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America spent $6.3 million lobbying Congress and other government arms on health care in the fourth quarter of 2009, The Associated Press reports. PhRMA “spent just 2 percent more than the $6.17 million it paid out for lobbying in the year-ago period. The group’s members include drug giants Pfizer Inc., Merck & Co…

PhRMA’s Tauzin Quits Amid Talk That White House Deal Caused Tension Within Organization

Former congressman and powerful lobbyist Billy Tauzin is resigning as head of the pharmaceutical industry trade group after a deal he helped broker with the White House on health reform strained relationships inside the group…

Proving Value A Challenge For Comparative Effectiveness And Pharmaceutical Technologies

The Wall Street Journal reports that “an examination of one of the best-known examples of a comparative-effectiveness analysis shows how complicated such a seemingly straightforward idea can get” as officials look for savings in the health care system…

Health Bill Stall Creates Uncertainty For Drug Makers

“With the possible demise of health care legislation, getting back to business as usual may not be the best thing for the nation’s drug makers,” The New York Times reports…

Health Care Stocks Gain As Reform Falters

“Health care stocks lagged the broader market’s recovery in 2009,” Forbes reports. “The possibility of a public option or any other legislation that might squeeze corporate profits ‘scared the dickens out of people’ in 2009, says Peter Tuz, president of money manager Chase Investment Counsel…

GAO: Some Meds Had ‘Extraordinary’ Price Hikes Over Past Eight Years

A report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued Monday finds that “[p]rices on a growing number of prescription medications have ballooned in recent years as consolidation in the drug industry leaves fewer companies manufacturing niche medications,” The Associated Press reports…

Drug Reimportation Emerges Again In Health Debate

The Hill reports that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid “has agreed to allow Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) to bring an amendment to a vote this week that would allow the importation of cheaper prescription drugs from abroad despite the fact that it could blow up a truce between the White House, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont…

Drug Reimportation Emerges Again In Health Debate

The Hill reports that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid “has agreed to allow Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) to bring an amendment to a vote this week that would allow the importation of cheaper prescription drugs from abroad despite the fact that it could blow up a truce between the White House, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont…

Lawmakers Call For Inquiry Into Pharmaceutical Company Price Hikes

Reuters: “Congressional Democrats are seeking government investigations into recent price increases of brand-name prescription drugs, as Congress finalizes an overhaul of the healthcare system.

DOJ Investigates Alleged Fraud By Drugmakers; Sanctions On WellCare Lifted

News outlets focus on alleged fraud in the drug and insurance industries. “A $112 million settlement involving alleged drug kickbacks that the Justice Dept. announced with the nation’s largest nursing home pharmacy and a generic drug manufacturer on Nov. 3 is part of a wide-ranging investigation of suspected Medicaid fraud by the pharmaceutical industry,”