STATEMENT OF COMMON CAUSE
PRESIDENT SCOTT HARSHBARGER ON DRUG COMPANIES PROFITEERING FROM BIO-TERRORISM
FEARS
CONGRESS REFILLS A BAD
PRESCRIPTION
Thursday, November 15, 2001
The House of Representatives today just passed a measure
giving drug companies an additional six-month extention on their patents
provided that they test their products on children. In the 2000 cycle,
pharmaceutical manufacturers have contributed $15.6 million in soft money to
the national political parties. The Bayer Corporation contributed just
$500 to the Democratic party and $93,529 to the Republican party in soft money
during that time.
It's hard to picture a more cynical and opportunistic bit of profiteering
than what we saw today, when the pharmaceutical industry sought - and won –
additional extensions on their patents as a reward for doing the kind of
research they should be doing anyway. And this has been cloaked, of
course, as a way to make our children more safe from bio-terrorism.
We've known for a long time that the brand-name drug industry has
innoculated itself from Congressional action, and that they've used their
political contributions and lobbying clout to make sure that their narrow
financial interest prevails over the public interest. I doubt that even
the most jaded drug lobbyist could make the case that the $38 million-plus that
the industry has contributed over the past 10 years has been given out of some
kind of philanthropic impulse.
Make no mistake: The drug industry isn't motivated by the desire to make
Cipro safe for kids. They're motivated by the impulse to make their
industry - already the most profitable - even more so.
Congress has already been very kind to the drug industry when it comes to
extending their patents and preventing cheaper generics from coming to
market. This was one prescription from Congress that did not need a
refill.
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