Pfizer Outspent Merck In Q1 2022 On Lobbyists -- By Almost Exactly $1 Million. Both Firms Keenly Focused On Vaccine Reimbursement...

Continuing our series on how mega-cap pharma concerns spend for favorable legislation, we offer this latest quarterly installment. And as has been true for five solid years, Pfizer has outspent Merck, even accounting for size differentials.

But this past year -- more than any in recent memory, both firms converged on vaccine reimbursement policy for obvious reasons. And for COVID-therapeutics reimbursement, more broadly.

Tomorrow, I'll list out the areas Pfizer was lobbying on -- but as you will see, their reports do not offer the granular level, by bill, of what they were jaw-boning about, around the Capitol. Here's the detailed Merck spend, by bill advanced:

. . .H.R. 3, Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act; H.R. 19 Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2021; H.R. 1550, PREVENT HPV Cancers Act of 2021; H.R. 2061, Advancing Emergency Preparedness Through One Health Act of 2021; H.R. 2873, Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Through Promoting Competition Act of 2021; H.R. 3173, Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act of 2021; H.R. 3932/S. 2079, Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions To End Up surging Resistance (PASTEUR) Act of 2021; H.R. 4127, Developing an Innovative Strategy for Antimicrobial Resistant Microorganisms (DISARM) Act of 2021; H.R. 5260, Reduced Costs and Continued Cures Act; H.R. 5376, Build Back Better Act; H.R. 5801, Help Ensure Lower Patient (HELP) Copays Act; H.R. 6584, Diverse and Equitable Participation in Clinical Trials (DEPICT) Act; H.R. 6963, Accelerated Approval Integrity Act of 2022; S. 1435, Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act of 2021; S. 2774, Pride in Patent Ownership Act; S. 2891, Restoring the America Invents Act. . . .

S. 2543 (116th Congress) Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2019; S. 1895 (116th Congress) Lower Health Care Costs Act

Issues relating to 340B program integrity; 340B of the Public Health Services Act; 340B policy; 340B issues; 340B drug pricing program; Drug pricing; Drug Pricing reforms -- international reference prices and government price setting; Anti-microbial Resistance; Vaccines; COVID-19 vaccines; COVID-19 therapeutics coverage issues; COVID-19 FDA Emergency Use Authorization issues; COVID-19 Pandemic response; Cost and value of medicines; Drug importation; Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) immunization; Vaccines catch up; Vaccine provisions; Vaccine Issues, including return to care access, and pandemic-related policy; Package inserts, labeling issues, and E-Labeling authorization legislation; Prescription Drug User Fee Authorization (PDUFA VII); Prescription Drug User Fees Act (P.L. 102-571); Executive Order 13937, Access to Affordable Life-Saving Medications; FY-2023 Budget and Appropriations Legislation; Intellectual property protection; WTO Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement; Animal Health; One Health Issues; Rural Broadband Issues; General pharmaceutical issues; Farm Bill 2023; Animal Drug User Fee Act 2023. . . .

That's quite a truckload. I am certain among the other lobbyist firms, there are more issues being discussed in the halls of Congress, on behalf of Merck -- but that gives you a representative sample/sense for it. Onward, into the sunshine for a bike ride by the lake. . . . smile.

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