Merck Cuts Its Lobby Spend In Half -- Full Year 2014 (Preliminary Data), Vs. 2013: $5.7 Million

This is a very, very significant reduction, year over year -- even though it was not a presidential race year. Merck spent (in 2014) at about the low-water levels it last touched back in 2006 -- almost a decade ago, now.

But before we all celebrate too, too loudly, I'll note that Merck still outspent Apple by about 30 per cent ($4.1 million in 2014 -- a record high water mark for AAPL) -- and Apple boasts over 5 times Merck's market cap (and needs lots of wonky-tech lobbying work done, to boot). Merck did come in at nearly the lower quartile of its mega-pharma peers, though. [That's about $56 million over the last six years, on lobbyists.] These are all preliminary numbers, and still I think the US Senate database now reflects all of Whitehouse Station's spend (we will update, right here, if things change). So. . . here's what the company reported as "self-lobbying" subjects, in the fourth quarter:

. . . .340B (no specific bill), National Diabetes Clinical Care Commission Act (H.R. 1074, S.539), Eliminating Disparities in Diabetes Prevention Act (H.R. 3322), Oncology education (no specific bill), adult vaccine policies (no specific bill), medication adherence, DISARM (H.R. 4187), ACA Implementation (no specific bill), Hepatitis C education (no specific bill), HIV education (no specific bill), MODDERN Cures Act of 2013 (H.R. 3116), biosimilars (no specific bill), Alzheimer's education (no specific bill), 21st Century Cures (no specific bill), general pharmaceutical industry issues and education. . . .

The vaccines lobbying was likely for Ebola vaccine candidates' tort immunity -- under the PREP Act. T.G.I.F. one and all -- I'm out! Have a great weekend!