Kenilworth Spends $1.85 Million On Lobbying, In Q2 2015 -- Or $4.155 Million In First Half Of 2015

The trend had been toward reduced spending, on lobbying (2013 to 2014, full years) -- and that was probably net-net, a pretty good thing. But now, as a new US Presidential (primary) election cycle gears up -- so too does the lobby spend, at Merck -- it would seem.

For the full first half year of 2014 (last year), Merck spent $3.75 million -- and only $1.33 million in the second quarter of 2014, both of which were sharp reductions from 2013 levels. Here is the detailed list (but see graphic at right for trend-line):

. . . .340B (no specific bill), Oncology education (no specific bill), adult vaccine policies (no specific bill), adolescent vaccine policies (no specific bill), DISARM (H.R. 4187), ACA Implementation (no specific bill), biosimilars (no specific bill), 21st Century Cures (H.R.6), FDA Regulatory Issues (no specific bill), general pharmaceutical industry issues, Senate HELP Innovation Draft (no bill number). . . .

Comprehensive tax reform (no specific bill), orphan drug tax credit (S.1128), R&D tax credit (no specific bill), base erosion (no specific bill), territorial tax system (no specific bill). . . .

Medicare Part D (general education, no specific bill), changes to low-income subsidy structure in Medicare Part D (general education, no specific bill), sustainable growth rate (H.R. 2, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act), Medicare Part B (general education, no specific bill), Preserving the Integrity of Medicare Act (H.R. 5780). . . .

Intellectual property (general education), patent reform (H.R. 9, the Innovation Act; S.632, the STRONG Patents Act). . . .

These are the matters upon which Merck itself reported having lobbied Congress from April 1 through June 30 of this year -- but that is not an all-inclusive list of the issues for which it hired lobby firms. Now you know -- nope; nothing to hide here.