Schering-Plough Spent $600K Lobbying Gov't In 1Q

Schering-Plough makes biologic drugs including a couple for hepatitis C. With Johnson & Johnson, the company jointly markets the blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis drug Remicade and will sell its just-approved successor drug, called Simponi.

Efforts to give the FDA power to approve generic biotech drugs have been delayed for years by disagreements between the biotech and generic drug industries, and their respective allies on Capitol Hill.

The biotech industry has argued that its products must be protected for 12-14 years before competing with cheaper copies from generic companies. Traditional drugs get five years of market exclusivity.

Schering-Plough lobbied on multiple bills involving patent reform, an important issue because of the increasing number of infringement lawsuits and challenges of brand-name drug patents by generic pharmaceutical companies before patents are to expire.

It also lobbied on bills regarding agreements between brand-name and generic drug firms to delay competition, and on proposals regarding the tax rates of income U.S. corporations earn overseas. Like most large American pharmaceutical companies, roughly half of Schering-Plough's sales come from other countries.

Schering-Plough also said it again responded to a congressional investigation, which concerned the long delay in the release of an unfavorable study on the cholesterol drug Vytorin, which it sells jointly with partner Merck & Co., according to a report filed April 20 with the House clerk's office.