FYI, just in case this well informed board was not aware of this issue from SEPR BB:
To: Dale Russell (3314 )
From: Dale Russell Monday, Jun 21 1999 9:15AM ET
Reply # of 3320
Seniors Launch Campaign Against Rep.
Bono's Claritin Bill; $4 Billion Windfall
to Drug Giants Would Be Paid By
Consumers
Actually it is the "Campaign for Fair Pharmaceutical Competition" (probably run by
Public Citizen) that is organizing this with support from Seniors groups. They are
attempting to prevent the extention of patent protection, something which may be
pertinent to SEPR.
newspage.com
As Follows:
Seniors Launch Campaign Against Rep. Bono's Claritin Bill; $4 Billion Windfall to Drug Giants Would Be Paid By Consumers
June 21, 1999
PALM SPRINGS, Calif., June 18 /PRNewswire/ via NewsEdge Corporation -- The Campaign for Fair Pharmaceutical Competition today launched a public education campaign in Rep. Mary Bono's district to convince her to withdraw support for HR 1598, a bill to extend the patent on Schering-Plough's blockbuster allergy drug Claritin. The campaign includes support from the Gray Panthers, Seniors Coalition, and generic drug manufacturers who will be locked out of the market by the bill.
HR 1598 is intended to prevent competition against Claritin and seven other drugs for three years beyond the period allowed by law, which will protect rich profit streams for Schering-Plough and other drug companies. Public Citizen says the bill will force consumers to pay over $4 billion in unnecessary health cares costs. Schering-Plough earned over $2 billion from Claritin alone last year. The company has lobbied members of Congress on key committees to support the bill. Rep. Bono, who agreed to help lead the bill's passage, sits on the House Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property, which will consider the bill on July 1.
Another member of the California congressional delegation, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), told the House this week that: "This proposal is a multi-billion dollar assault on consumers. By keeping out competition, the drug companies which benefit from HR 1598 can rake in money out of the pockets of Americans who already find it hard to pay for medicine."
Tens of millions of consumers who use the drugs protected under HR 1598 will pay half price or less for treatment when the patents expire and less-costly competitors are allowed to enter the marketplace. Stopping the special-interest bill is especially important to 15 million seniors who have no insurance coverage to help pay for medication. Drugs protected under the bill include Claritin and Eulexin (prostate cancer/Schering-Plough), Daypro (arthritis/Monsanto), Dermatop (skin ailments/Hoechst Marion Roussel), Penetrex (urinary tract infections/Rhone-Poulenc-Rorer), Cardiogen-82 (radiologic imaging/Bristol-Myers Squibb), Nimotop (stroke/Bayer A.G.) and Relafen (arthritis/SmithKline Beecham).
The campaign is distributing informational material, meeting with activists and community leaders, and working with the media -- including through radio ads -- to educate voters about the bill and encourage them to call Rep. Bono's office at 760-320-1076.
Similar campaigns are underway in Rep. Jim McDermott's Seattle district, Rep. Robert Wexler's Southeast Florida district, and Rep. William Delahunt's Massachusetts district. The campaign may be expanded to districts represented by the following cosponsors. Bill Archer (TX), Roy Blunt (MO), Ed Bryant (TN), Chris Cannon (UT), Bob Clement (TN), John Conyers (MI), John Duncan (TN), Anna Eschoo (CA), Bob Filner (CA), Harold Ford, Jr. (TN), Bob Franks (NJ), Rodney Frelinghuysan (NJ), Bart Gordon (TN), Van Hilleary (TN), Steny Hoyer (MD), Sheila Jackson-Lee (TX), William Jenkins (TN), John Linder (GA), Bill McCollum (FL), Bob Menendez (NJ), Ed Pastor (AZ), Don Payne (NJ), Steve Rothman (NJ), Lamar Smith (TX), John Tanner (TN), Ellen Tauscher (CA), Zack Wamp (TN), and Roger Wicker (MS).
SOURCE Campaign for Fair Pharmaceutical
Competition
/CONTACT: Steve Appel, 888-966-3303,
for the Campaign for Fair Pharmaceutical
Competition/
[Copyright 1999, PR Newswire] |
