Pharma Will Fight House Health Reform Bill

That's what AstraZeneca ceo David Brennan says now that the House version of health care reform differs from the Senate version. How different? Well, the Senate version includes an $80 billion discount drugmakers agreed with the White House would be offered; the House version says that should be $140 billion. Brennan says the industry will fight if the House version survives.

"Right now the answer to that is yes," Brennan tells The Huffington Post. "We said there were principles we didn't want to see violated. And if those principles - price controls, Medicare rebates, moving dual eligibles back from Medicare and back into the Medicaid discount program - if those things happen, I can't see how we could be supportive of the program."

Brennan's remarks hold special significance since he is the chair this year of the industry trade group, PhRMA. Interestingly, he also pooh-poohed an IMS projection that the industry will gain up to $137 billion in revenue as the economy improves and, in particular, the deal with the White House and Senate.

"I talk to the IMS. They, I think, have gone from projecting the market would be flat to roughly two or three percent," he tells Huff. "I think you have to go back and look at their record of prospectively being able to project that out. And right now the market is softer than we probably expected it to be a few years ago."

5 Comments

How ironic! Mr Brennan should, perhaps, consider AZ's current business issues a little more!

Nov 13, 2009 - 7:51pm

"includes an $80 million discount drugmakers agreed with the White House would be offered; the House version says that should be $140 million."

Is that supposed to be billions; not millions?

80 to 140 million appears like chump change after all for these Giants; especially considered the fines they are paying for all their dirty little deeds are in the hundreds of millions; not to even mention the billions in profit they are raking in at the present time.

Dear Ms Piggy,

Thanks for your note and for the sharp eye. You are correct and we have made the fix. Much appreciated.

Ed

Question 1. How much did Dave Brennan know about "The Seroquel Issue" at the time?

http://pharmagossip.blogspot.com/2009/10/astrazeneca-to-pay-520-million-to.html

The pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said Thursday (29/Oct/09) that it had reached a $520 million agreement to settle two federal investigations and two whistle-blower lawsuits over the sale and marketing of its blockbuster psychiatric drug Seroquel.

One of the investigations related to “selected physicians who participated in clinical trials involving Seroquel,” AstraZeneca disclosed in a government filing. The other case related to off-label promotion of the drug.

H. Waxman's letter:

http://oversight.house.gov/Documents/20070305175741-03469.pdf

The Zoladex issue:

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2003/June/03_civ_371.htm

Question 2

What do AZ think Corporate Integrity Agreements are?

http://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/cia/agreements/AstraZeneca06042003.PDF

This might help.

http://peterrost.blogspot.com/2007/04/secret-astrazeneca-audio-tapes.html

http://peterrost.blogspot.com/2007/04/open-letter-to-oig-from-astrazeneca.html

Question 3

Is Dr Michael Reinstein one of the Seroquel investigators under investigation by the DoJ?

http://pharmagossip.blogspot.com/2009/11/dr-michael-reinstein-clozaril-king-is.html

question 4:

Was Geoff Birkett the "man behind the curtain" in the Seroquel Scandal?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/chi-drugs-seroquel-reinsteinnov11,0,6067737.story

Last question, for now:

http://pharmagossip.blogspot.com/2009/11/astrazeneca-seroquel-fao-marketing-and.html

I know a lot of The House of Representatives seats will be replaced by the voters. We don't need this type of reform for health care. They just passed it without even knowing all aspects of the bill. What happened to reading the fine print before you sign. What idiots we have in the house!