And... US Prescription Drug Pricing Is Chief Among The Matters For Which Merck Paid Lobbyists In Q1 2023 -- As Well As Taxation Policy.

As we indicated last night, these multinational companies make GAAP net earnings per share from operations that every quarter, year in and year out. . . tally billions and billions of gains for the shareholder base, here in the US, and around the globe.

It is time for these companies to pay their fair share in the US, rather than using lobby firms to continually kick the can, down the alley -- decade after decade. And given this morning's antitrust settlement -- it is time for them to stop gaming the US patent system, to prevent generic entrants for decades at a time as well. Here is what Rahway spent on -- in Q1 2023:

. . .H.R. 830, Help Ensure Lower Patient (HELP) Copays Act; H.R. 1418, Animal Drug User Fee Amendments of 2023; H.R. 1503, Prescription Information Modernization Act of 2023; H.R. 1550, (117th Cong.) PREVENT HPV Cancers Act of 2021; H.R. 2873, (117th Cong.) Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Through Promoting Competition Act of 2021; H.R. 3932/S. 2076, (117th Cong.) Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions To End Up surging Resistance (PASTEUR) Act of 2021; S. 150, Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act of 2023; S. 1712, (116th Cong.) Developing an Innovative Strategy for Antimicrobial Resistant Microorganisms (DISARM) Act of 2019; S. 2076, (117th Cong.) Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions To End Up surging Resistance Act of 2021 or the PASTEUR Act of 2021; S. 1895 (116th Congress) Lower Health Care Costs Act; S. 4348, (117th Cong) Food and Drug Administration Safety and Landmark Advancements (FDASLA) Act of 2022; S. 4760, (116th Congress) The PASTEUR 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 therapeutics coverage issues; COVID-19 Pandemic response; Cost and value of medicines; Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) immunization; Vaccines catch up; Vaccines issues; Vaccine provisions; Vaccine Issues, including return to care access, and pandemic-related policy; Package inserts, labeling issues, and E-Labeling authorization legislation; Pharmaceutical Supply Channel issues; Drug shortage issues; Prescription Drug User Fees Act (P.L. 102-571); Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169), issues relating to drug pricing provisions; Prescription drug cost-sharing; FY-2023 Budget and Appropriations Legislation; Intellectual property protection; Intellectual property and trade issues; WTO Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement; WTO IP Waiver for COVID therapeutics; Animal Health; Animal Health Technology Issues; Animal Health Policy Issues: ADUFA & Funding for Electronic Animal Traceability; One Health Issues; General pharmaceutical issues; Farm Bill 2023; Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP); Step therapy requirements in commercial health plans; Diversity in clinical trials; Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) policy issues. . . .

H.R. 5376, (117th Cong.) Build Back Better Act; S. 476 (116th Congress) Creating Transparency to Have Drug Rebates Unlocked (C-THRU) Act of 2019

Issues relating to:

Medicaid; Medicare; Medicare Part B and D drug pricing issues; Medicare Part D, Six Protected Classes; Prior authorization process under Medicare Advantage plans; 340B program integrity; 340B of the Public Health Services Act; 340B drug pricing program; Drug Pricing; FY-2023 Budget and Appropriations Legislation.. . . .

Issues related to: Tax reform and tax policy, generally; Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (P.L. 115-97); Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169), provisions relating to taxes. . . .

Now you know. . . onward, grinning.

नमस्ते