Merck Spent Just Under $3 Million -- On US Lobbying -- In Q2 2010 Alone

The old saw has it that "If you want to make an omelet, you'll have to break a few eggs". In Merck's case, it is just a few shy of 3 million of them ($2.96 million, to be exact), in just the second four months of 2010.

That's how much Merck (according to recently-filed governmental reports) spent in the second quarter of 2010 -- lobbying on pharmaceutical issues. Issues like federal law (FDA) premption -- like extending patent life -- and like limiting inflow of Canadian drugs (at lower average prices). Issues like those.

Which lobbyists, and firms, got all that money? Here's a partial listing, for second quarter 2010 (this will now be a regular feature on the blog -- I've been sporatic about reporting it in the past):

Canfield & Associates, Inc. | $20,000

Capitol Hill Strategies, LLC | %40,000

Cauthen Forbes & Williams | $30,000

Cornerstone Government Affairs, LLC | $20,000

Foley Hoag LLP | $45,000

Mark Raabe | ($0 -- No Activity)

Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti, Inc. | $50,000

Merck & Co., Inc. | $944,000*

Merck & Co., Inc. | $842,000*

Merck & Co., Inc. | $895,000*

The Advocacy Group | $20,000

Williams and Jensen, PLLC | $50,000

[Total Sources: $2.96 Million]. . . .

Added to the $3.2 million Merck spent in Q1 2010, that's about $6.1 million for a half year (about equal to all of the 2009 yearly spend -- in just six months). And that's LOT of eggs -- one very BIG omelet.

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* _{Merck is likely including all of its internal governmental affairs executives in the three line items in the middle of the above list.}