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{{short description|Trade group}}
{{NPOV}}
{{Redirect|PhRMA|related uses|Pharma}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
| logo = PhRMA logo.svg
| abbreviation = PhRMA
| formation = 1958
| purpose = [[Trade association]]<br/>[[Lobbying]]
| leader_title = Board Chair
| leader_name = Ramona Sequeira
| leader_title2 = Board Chair
| leader_name2 = [[Vasant Narasimhan|Vasant (Vas) Narasimhan, M.D.]]
| leader_title3 = President
| leader_name3 = Stephen J. Ubl
| website = [https://www.phrma.org/ Official website]
| formerly = Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association
}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2011}}
'''Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America''' ('''PhRMA''', pronounced {{IPA|/ˈfɑrmə/}}), formerly known as the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.nationalhealthcouncil.org/about-nhc/members/pharmaceutical-research-and-manufacturers-america|title=Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America|date=2014-11-04|work=National Health Council|access-date=2017-12-11|language=en}}</ref> is a [[trade association|trade group]] representing companies in the [[pharmaceutical industry]] in the [[United States]]. Founded in 1958, PhRMA lobbies on behalf of pharmaceutical companies.<ref name="NYT-20151127">{{cite news |author=The Editorial Board |title=Turn the Volume Down on Drug Ads |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/27/opinion/turn-the-volume-down-on-drug-ads.html |date=November 27, 2015 |work=[[New York Times]] |access-date=November 27, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America |url=https://www.c-span.org/organization/?17713/Pharmaceutical-Research-Manufacturers-America |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220406050308/https://www.c-span.org/organization/?17713/Pharmaceutical-Research-Manufacturers-America |archive-date=2022-04-06 |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=C-SPAN}}</ref> PhRMA is headquartered in [[Washington, D.C.|Washington, DC]].<ref name=":0" />


The organization has lobbied fiercely against allowing [[Medicare (United States)|Medicare]] to negotiate [[Prescription drug prices in the United States|drug prices]] for Medicare recipients,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-09-08|title=PhRMA Warns of Dire Consequences if Medicare Allowed to Negotiate Drug Prices|url=https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/generalprofessionalissues/94411|access-date=2021-10-03|website=www.medpagetoday.com|language=en}}</ref> and filed lawsuits against the drug price provisions in the [[Inflation Reduction Act]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/03/11/pharma-drug-priding-biden-negotiations/|title=How Big Pharma is fighting Biden's program to lower seniors' drug costs|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=March 11, 2024|access-date=March 13, 2024}}</ref> At the state level, the organization has lobbied to prevent price limits and greater price transparency for drugs.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hancock|first=Jay|date=2017-12-18|title=In Election Year, Drug Industry Spent Big To Temper Talk About High Drug Prices|language=en|work=NPR|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/12/18/571206699/in-election-year-drug-industry-spent-big-to-temper-talk-about-high-drug-prices|access-date=2021-10-03}}</ref>
'''Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America''' (PhRMA) is a trade group representing the [[pharmaceutical]] research and [[biotechnology]] companies in the [[United States]]. PhRMA's mission is advocacy for public policies that encourage the discovery of new medicines for patients by pharmaceutical/biotechnology research companies. It is one of the largest and most influential [[lobbying]] organizations in [[Washington, D.C.]]


PhRMA has given substantial [[dark money]] donations to right-wing advocacy groups such as the [[American Action Network]] (which lobbied heavily against the [[Affordable Care Act]]), the [[Koch brothers]]' [[Americans for Prosperity]] and [[Grover Norquist]]'s [[Americans for Tax Reform]], while rarely providing some donations to centrist or moderately right-leaning groups such as [[Center Forward]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hancock|first=Jay|date=2018-07-27|title=The Stealth Campaign to Kill Off Obamacare|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/27/business/the-stealth-campaign-to-kill-off-obamacare.html|access-date=2021-10-03|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
On its website, PhRMA states its "mission is winning advocacy for public policies that encourage the discovery of life-saving and life-enhancing new medicines for patients by pharmaceutical/biotechnology research companies.


==Membership==
"To accomplish this mission, PhRMA is dedicated to achieving in Washington, D.C., the states and the world:"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.phrma.org/about_phrma/mission_statement/mission_statement/|title=Mission Statement|publisher=PhRMA|accessdate=2007-06-05}}</ref>
* "Broad patient access to safe and effective medicines through a free market, without price controls,
* "Strong intellectual property incentives, and
* "Transparent, efficient, regulation and a free flow of information to patients."


=== Leadership ===
PhRMA's CEO is [[Billy Tauzin]].
Ramona Sequeira, President of [[Takeda Pharmaceutical Company|Takeda]]’s Global Portfolio Division, is chairman of the PhRMA board. [[Vasant Narasimhan|Vasant (Vas) Narasimhan, M.D.]], CEO of [[Novartis]], is chairman and Daniel O'Day, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of [[Gilead Sciences]], is board treasurer.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://phrma.org/About |access-date=2023-02-09 |website=phrma.org |language=en}}</ref>


Since 2015, the president of the organization has been Stephen J. Ubl. Previous leadership includes: [[John J. Castellani]], formerly head of the [[Business Roundtable]], a U.S. advocacy and [[Lobbyist|lobbying]] group,<ref name="Whorunsgov">[http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/John_Castellani whorunsgov.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110127013251/http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/John_Castellani |date=January 27, 2011 }}</ref> [[Billy Tauzin]], a former Republican congressman from Louisiana, and [[John J. Horan]], former CEO and chairman of [[Merck & Co.]]<ref name="Post">{{cite news | title = Pharmaceutical group shifts tone with new pick for president | author = N.C. Alzenman and Dan Eggen | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = July 14, 2010 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/13/AR2010071302891.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | author = Judy Sarasohn | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3504-2004Dec15.html | title = Special Interests: Tauzin to Head Drug Trade Group | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = December 16, 2004 | page = A35}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | author = Julian Pecquet | title = PhRMA picks new president | newspaper = The Hill | date = July 14, 2010 | volume = 17 | issue = 81 | page = 22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Segal |first=David |date=2011-01-28 |title=John Horan, Former Chief of Merck, Dies at 90 |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/business/28horan.html |access-date=2022-06-28 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
==Company operations==


=== Members ===
*Representing 50 biotech companies, PhRMA has twenty registered [[lobbyist]]s on staff and has contracted with dozens of lobby and [[public relations]] firms — including [[Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld]], Barbour Griffith & Rogers, [[DCI Group]], The Dutko Group, [[Edelman]] and Bonner & Associates — to promote its members' interests.
Current member companies include [[Alkermes (company)|Alkermes]], [[Amgen]], [[Astellas Pharma]], [[Bayer]], [[Biogen]], [[BioMarin Pharmaceutical]], [[Boehringer Ingelheim]], [[Bristol Myers Squibb]], [[CSL Behring]], [[Daiichi Sankyo]], [[Eisai (company)|Eisai]], [[Eli Lilly and Company]], [[EMD Serono]], [[Genentech]], [[Gilead Sciences]], [[GlaxoSmithKline]], [[Incyte]], [[Ipsen]], [[Johnson & Johnson]], [[Lundbeck]], [[Merck & Co.]], [[Novartis]], [[Novo Nordisk]], [[Otsuka Pharmaceutical]], [[Pfizer]], [[Sanofi]], [[Sunovion]], [[Takeda Pharmaceutical Company]], [[Teva Pharmaceutical Company]] and [[UCB (company)|UCB]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fick |first=Maggie |date=2023-05-16 |title=AstraZeneca to leave leading U.S. drug lobby group |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/astrazeneca-leave-leading-us-drug-lobby-group-2023-05-16/ |access-date=2023-05-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://phrma.org/About |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220406052447/https://www.phrma.org/about |archive-date=2022-04-06 |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=PhRMA |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Payne |first1=Daniel |last2=Mahr |first2=Krista |title=AbbVie exits the lobby |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-pulse/2022/12/15/abbvie-exits-the-lobby-00074047 |access-date=2023-02-09 |website=POLITICO |date=December 15, 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-02-03 |title=After AbbVie's exodus, Teva walks away from influential trade group PhRMA |language=en |work=Fierce Pharma |url=https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/after-abbvie-phrmas-black-sheep-teva-walks-away-influential-trade-group#:~:text=%E2%80%9CTeva%20has%20decided%20not%20to,statement%20provided%20to%20Fierce%20Pharma. |access-date=2023-02-09}}</ref>


==Programs==
*PhRMA has a record of hiding its lobbying and PR activities, often by paying other organizations, such as [[United Seniors Association]] (USA) or the Consumer Alliance, to advocate industry-friendly policies, a practice known as [[Astroturfing]]. "PhRMA Appears to Have Funneled Up to $41 Million To 'Stealth [[Political Action Committee|PACs]]' to Help Elect a Drug Industry-Friendly Congress" according to a September, 2004 report published by the [[Public Citizen]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=1789|title= PhRMA Appears to Have Funneled Up to $41 Million To “Stealth PACs” to Help Elect a Drug Industry-Friendly Congress |publisher=[[Public Citizen]]|accessdate=2007-05-14}}</ref>
SMARxT Disposal is a joint program run by the [[U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]], the [[American Pharmacists Association]], and PhRMA to encourage consumers to properly dispose of unused medicines to avoid harm to the environment.<ref name="Patient">{{cite web|url=http://www.phrma.org/research/patient-resources |title=Patient Resources |publisher=Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America |access-date=April 6, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110319121101/http://www.phrma.org/research/patient-resources |archive-date=March 19, 2011 }}</ref>


The Partnership for Prescription Assistance is a program by PhRMA and its member companies that connects patients in-need with information on low-cost and free prescription medication.<ref name="Patient"/> PhRMA has in 2017 raised concerns over price increases for generic drugs out of patent by the company [[Marathon Pharmaceuticals]] over [[Duchenne muscular dystrophy]] treatment.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/02/marathon-gets-the-shkreli-treatment-from-industry-after-89k-drug-dust-up/|title=Marathon gets the Shkreli treatment from industry after $89K drug dust up|newspaper=Ars Technica|access-date=2017-02-18|language=en-us}}</ref>
*The February, 2003, issue of the ''AARP Bulletin'' reported: "Three nonprofit organizations that claim to speak for older Americans are in fact heavily bankrolled by the pharmaceutical industry, an examination of tax records by the ''[[American Association of Retired Persons|AARP]] Bulletin'' shows. United Seniors Association, for example, got more than a third of its funds in 2001 from drug-industry sources. The big donors included Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the industry's trade association; Citizens for Better Medicare, a PhRMA-funded nonprofit group; and [[Pfizer]] Inc. Total industry contributions: at least $3.1 million."


The company has advocated abroad in [[South Africa]] regarding pharmaceutical drug intellectual property rules.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2014/01/new-drug-war-continued|title=Leaky pharma|newspaper=The Economist|language=en|access-date=2018-02-12}}</ref>
*In June 2004, PhRMA teamed up with the [[U.S. Chamber of Commerce]] and the [[American Psychiatric Association]] "to demonstrate the cost of [[depression]] in the workplace and to show employers that treating affected workers would improve the bottom line." The three groups endorsed a "depression calculator," which allows employers to estimate the effect of untreated depression on their company's profits, through absenteeism and low productivity. The calculator also figures "how much the business would save if employees were treated."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.depressioncalculator.com/Welcome.asp|title=Productivity Impact Model: Calculating the Impact of Depression in the Workplace and the Benefits of Treatment|publisher=PhRMA|accessdate=2007-05-14}}</ref> The Arizona-based "health-care consulting firm" The HSM Group organized the calculator's public "introduction." At the press conference unveiling the calculator, PhRMA's senior vice president for policy, research and strategic planning, Richard Smith, said: "A depressed employee is less productive or absent for 30 to 50 days a year. ... The person's medical costs are $2,000 to $3,000 more than other employees."


In 2017, the organization had revenue of $455 million, $128 million of which was spent on lobbying activities.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Kanski |first=Alison |date=November 26, 2018 |title=PhRMA spent nearly 10 times 2016's sum on advertising last year |url=https://www.mmm-online.com/home/channel/commercial/phrma-spent-nearly-10-times-2016s-sum-on-advertising-last-year/}}</ref>
*In the years from 1998 to 2005, PhRMA spent $133,156,515 on lobbying.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/index.asp|title=Lobbying Spending Database|publisher=opensecrets.org|accessdate=2007-05-14}}</ref>


The organization has notably opposed market pricing strategies of [[Valeant Pharmaceuticals]], deriding the firm as having a strategy "reflective of a [[hedge fund]]".<ref>{{Cite news |title=High price tags for medicines are about to come under renewed pressure |url=https://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21711333-president-elect-formerly-pharma-industrys-preferred-candidate-has-promised-bring |access-date=2018-02-12 |newspaper=The Economist |language=en}}</ref>
==Medicare Prescription Drug Act of 2003==


In January 2018, the organization introduced the "Let's Talk About Cost" website, which makes the argument that much of the cost of medication goes to middlemen unassociated with pharmaceutical companies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://catalyst.phrma.org/phrma-launches-new-consumer-facing-lets-talk-about-cost-website|title=PhRMA launches new consumer-facing Let's Talk About Cost website|last=Campbell|first=Holly|date=January 24, 2018}}</ref><ref name=":1" />
On [[January 25]], [[2006]], [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] leader [[Nancy Pelosi]], Democratic Whip [[Steny H. Hoyer]] and Ranking Minority Member [[Henry A. Waxman]] asked [[J. Dennis Hastert]], Speaker of the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] at that time, for a congressional investigation into the role played by the [[Alexander Strategy Group]], a lobbying firm closely linked to [[Tom DeLay]] and [[Jack Abramoff]], in the passage of the [[Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act|Medicare Prescription Drug Act]] which was passed on [[December 8]], [[2003]].

With the indictments of DeLay and Abramoff, new questions arose about the role of the Alexander Strategy Group in the passing of the bill. Lobby disclosure forms showed that the largest single client of the Alexander Strategy Group was the pharmaceutical industry, which paid the small firm over $2.5 million, including nearly $1 million in 2003, when the prescription drug law was being written.

The lobby disclosure forms revealed that the primary clients represented were PhRMA and [[Eli Lilly]] during consideration of the Medicare Prescription Drug Act. The person representing PhRMA and Lilly was [[Tony Rudy]], the former deputy chief of staff for Mr. DeLay. Rudy also worked for Mr. Abramoff from 2001 to 2002. On [[January 9]], [[2006]], the Alexander Strategy Group announced that it would shut its lobbying operations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/48/17232|title=Medicare Drug Bill Tied to Abramoff|publisher=[[Truthout.org]]|date=[[2006-01-25]]|accessdate=2007-06-12}}</ref>

Former White House [[Office of Management and Budget]] director [[Mitch Daniels]] is a former Lilly executive and oversaw the Medicare Prescription Drug Act.

Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Eli Lilly, Robert A. Armitage, is the past chair of the Patent Committee of PhRMA. Eli Lilly President and CEO [[Sidney Taurel]] is a past president of the PhRMA.

==International==
PhRMA lobbying activities have extended outside of the United States. "America's big drug companies are intensifying their lobbying efforts to 'change the Canadian health-care system' and eliminate subsidized prescription drug prices enjoyed by Canadians," [[CanWest News Service]] reported on June 9, 2003. "A prescription drug industry spokesman in Washington confirmed to CanWest News Service that information contained in confidential industry documents is accurate and that $1 million US is being added to the already heavily funded drug lobby against the Canadian system." PhRMA was the leading drug industry trade group behind the increased lobbying and PR campaign. PhRMA was also independently spending $450,000 to target the booming Canadian Internet pharmacy industry, which has been providing Americans with prescription drugs at lower prices than in the United States.

==Members==

Some prominent members of PhRMA include the following. A full list of members is available at the PhRMA website.<ref>[http://www.phrma.org/about_phrma/member_company_list/members/]PhRMA members</ref>

* [[3M]]
* [[Astra Zeneca]]
* [[Bayer]]
* [[Boehringer Ingelheim]]
* [[Bristol-Myers Squibb]]
* [[Eli Lilly and Company]]
* [[GlaxoSmithKline]]
* [[Hoffmann-La Roche]]
* [[Merck & Co.|Merck]]
* [[Novartis]]
* [[Pfizer]]
* [[Procter & Gamble]]
* [[Sanofi-aventis]]
* [[Schering-Plough]]
* [[Wyeth]]


==See also==
==See also==
* [[Biotechnology Innovation Organization]] (BIO)
* [[Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry]]
* [[Ethics in pharmaceutical sales]]
* [[European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations]] (EFPIA)
* [[European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations]] (EFPIA)
* [[Generic Pharmaceutical Association]]
* [[Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA, USA)
* [[International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations]] (IFPMA)
* [[International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations]] (IFPMA)
* [[International Intellectual Property Alliance]] (IIPA)
* [[International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use]] (ICH)
* [[Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association]] (JPMA)
* [[Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association]]
* [[Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention and Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme]]
* [[Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention and Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme]]
* [[Pharmaceutical marketing]]
* [[Secure Access for Everyone]] (SAFE)
* [[Portuguese Pharmaceutical Industry Association]]
* [[Sicko (film)]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
<references/>

==Related reading==

* John Mack, [http://pharmamkting.blogspot.com/2006/07/phrma-intern-vs-botox.html "PhRMA Intern vs. BOTOX!"], Pharma Marketing Blog's Further Adventures of PhRMA Intern! fighting for believability, justice for pharmaceutical companies, and the PhRMA Way.
* Nicholas Confessore, [http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2003/0312.confessore.html "Meet the Press: How James Glassman reinvented journalism--as lobbying"], Washington Monthly, December 2003.
* Sheryl Gay Stolberg, [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50E11F93D5A0C738FDDAE0894DB404482 "Drug Lobby Pushed Letter By Senators On Medicare"], ''New York Times'', July 30, 2003, p. A15.
* Jim VandeHei and Juliet Eilperin, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A31678-2003Jul22&notFound=true "Drug Firms Gain Church Group's Aid Claim About Import Measure Stirs Anger"], ''Washington Post'', July 23, 2003, p. A1.
* Tim Craig, [http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0309-04.htm "Community Leaders Decry Lobby Firm's Fax"], ''Baltimore Sun'', March 9, 2002.
* Peter H. Stone, [http://bernie.house.gov/documents/articles/2001-07-21-nat_journal-Rx_Drugs.asp "PhRMA Fights Back"], ''National Journal'', July 21, 2001.
*Julian Borger, [http://www.corpwatch.org/news/PND.jsp?articleid=178 "USA: The Pharmaceutical Industry Stalks the Corridors of Power"], ''Guardian Unlimited'', February 13, 2001
* Judy Sarasohn, "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3504-2004Dec15.html Tauzin to Head Drug Trade Group]", ''Washington Post'', December 16, 2004.
* Public Citizen, "[http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=1842 Rep. Billy Tauzin Demonstrates That Washington's “Revolving Door” Is Spinning Out of Control]: Public Citizen Calls for a Change in Ethics and Lobbying Rules", Media Release, December 15, 2004.


==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.phrma.org/ Official website]
* {{official website}}
* [https://www.phrma.org/ Official website]
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Pharmaceutical_Research_and_Manufacturers_of_America Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America - Sourcewatch]
{{authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Pharmaceutical Research And Manufacturers Of America}}
[[Category:Astroturf groups]]
[[Category:Lobbying]]
[[Category:Pharmaceutical companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Pharmaceutical industry]]
[[Category:1958 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Pharmaceuticals policy]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1958]]
[[Category:Political advocacy groups in the United States]]
[[Category:Life sciences industry]]
[[Category:Pharmaceutical industry trade groups]]
[[Category:Health industry trade groups based in the United States]]
[[Category:Medical and health organizations based in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Lobbying organizations in the United States]]
[[Category:1958 establishments in Washington, D.C.]]

Revision as of 18:29, 13 May 2024

"PhRMA" redirects here. For related uses, see Pharma.
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
AbbreviationPhRMA
Formation1958
PurposeTrade association
Lobbying
Board Chair
Ramona Sequeira
Board Chair
Vasant (Vas) Narasimhan, M.D.
President
Stephen J. Ubl
WebsiteOfficial website
Formerly called
Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA, pronounced /ˈfɑrmə/), formerly known as the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association,[1] is a trade group representing companies in the pharmaceutical industry in the United States. Founded in 1958, PhRMA lobbies on behalf of pharmaceutical companies.[2][3] PhRMA is headquartered in Washington, DC.[1]

The organization has lobbied fiercely against allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices for Medicare recipients,[4] and filed lawsuits against the drug price provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act.[5] At the state level, the organization has lobbied to prevent price limits and greater price transparency for drugs.[6]

PhRMA has given substantial dark money donations to right-wing advocacy groups such as the American Action Network (which lobbied heavily against the Affordable Care Act), the Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity and Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform, while rarely providing some donations to centrist or moderately right-leaning groups such as Center Forward.[7]

Membership

Leadership

Ramona Sequeira, President of Takeda’s Global Portfolio Division, is chairman of the PhRMA board. Vasant (Vas) Narasimhan, M.D., CEO of Novartis, is chairman and Daniel O'Day, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Gilead Sciences, is board treasurer.[8]

Since 2015, the president of the organization has been Stephen J. Ubl. Previous leadership includes: John J. Castellani, formerly head of the Business Roundtable, a U.S. advocacy and lobbying group,[9] Billy Tauzin, a former Republican congressman from Louisiana, and John J. Horan, former CEO and chairman of Merck & Co.[10][11][12][13]

Members

Current member companies include Alkermes, Amgen, Astellas Pharma, Bayer, Biogen, BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, CSL Behring, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, Eli Lilly and Company, EMD Serono, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Incyte, Ipsen, Johnson & Johnson, Lundbeck, Merck & Co., Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Pfizer, Sanofi, Sunovion, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Teva Pharmaceutical Company and UCB.[14][15][16][17]

Programs

SMARxT Disposal is a joint program run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the American Pharmacists Association, and PhRMA to encourage consumers to properly dispose of unused medicines to avoid harm to the environment.[18]

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance is a program by PhRMA and its member companies that connects patients in-need with information on low-cost and free prescription medication.[18] PhRMA has in 2017 raised concerns over price increases for generic drugs out of patent by the company Marathon Pharmaceuticals over Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment.[19]

The company has advocated abroad in South Africa regarding pharmaceutical drug intellectual property rules.[20]

In 2017, the organization had revenue of $455 million, $128 million of which was spent on lobbying activities.[21]

The organization has notably opposed market pricing strategies of Valeant Pharmaceuticals, deriding the firm as having a strategy "reflective of a hedge fund".[22]

In January 2018, the organization introduced the "Let's Talk About Cost" website, which makes the argument that much of the cost of medication goes to middlemen unassociated with pharmaceutical companies.[23][21]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America". National Health Council. November 4, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
  2. ^ The Editorial Board (November 27, 2015). "Turn the Volume Down on Drug Ads". New York Times. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  3. ^ "Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America". C-SPAN. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  4. ^ "PhRMA Warns of Dire Consequences if Medicare Allowed to Negotiate Drug Prices". www.medpagetoday.com. September 8, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  5. ^ "How Big Pharma is fighting Biden's program to lower seniors' drug costs". The Washington Post. March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  6. ^ Hancock, Jay (December 18, 2017). "In Election Year, Drug Industry Spent Big To Temper Talk About High Drug Prices". NPR. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  7. ^ Hancock, Jay (July 27, 2018). "The Stealth Campaign to Kill Off Obamacare". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  8. ^ "About". phrma.org. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  9. ^ whorunsgov.com Archived January 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ N.C. Alzenman and Dan Eggen (July 14, 2010). "Pharmaceutical group shifts tone with new pick for president". The Washington Post.
  11. ^ Judy Sarasohn (December 16, 2004). "Special Interests: Tauzin to Head Drug Trade Group". The Washington Post. p. A35.
  12. ^ Julian Pecquet (July 14, 2010). "PhRMA picks new president". The Hill. Vol. 17, no. 81. p. 22.
  13. ^ Segal, David (January 28, 2011). "John Horan, Former Chief of Merck, Dies at 90". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  14. ^ Fick, Maggie (May 16, 2023). "AstraZeneca to leave leading U.S. drug lobby group". Reuters. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  15. ^ "About". PhRMA. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  16. ^ Payne, Daniel; Mahr, Krista (December 15, 2022). "AbbVie exits the lobby". POLITICO. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  17. ^ "After AbbVie's exodus, Teva walks away from influential trade group PhRMA". Fierce Pharma. February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
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  19. ^ "Marathon gets the Shkreli treatment from industry after $89K drug dust up". Ars Technica. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  20. ^ "Leaky pharma". The Economist. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  21. ^ a b Kanski, Alison (November 26, 2018). "PhRMA spent nearly 10 times 2016's sum on advertising last year".
  22. ^ "High price tags for medicines are about to come under renewed pressure". The Economist. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  23. ^ Campbell, Holly (January 24, 2018). "PhRMA launches new consumer-facing Let's Talk About Cost website".

External links

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