More biotechs lobby against biogenerics

[industry_news]

What did BIO, Genentech, Biogen Idec and other biotech drugmakers spend money on last quarter? Lobbying, of course. BIO, the industry's advocacy group, spent $1.9 million lobbying Congress on a variety of issues, including patent reform, stem cells, reimbursement and biogenerics. With a new President headed for the White House, the previously-stalled efforts to create a faster biogeneric approval pathway will probably be revived. The biotech industry is hoping for the best--but preparing for the worst.
For example, Genentech and Biogen Idec forked over $570,000 and $180,000 respectively in Q3 lobbying against biogeneric drugs. And last week we reported that Amgen and Amylin Pharmaceuticals spent big bucks on the same issue. As the calls for healthcare reform heat up, so will Biotech's efforts to prevent generic competition.
- see the AP articles on BIO, Biogen and Genentech
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