Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English Template:Redirect Template:Infobox organization Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA, pronounced {{#invoke:IPA|main}}), formerly known as the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association,<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> is an American trade group representing companies in the pharmaceutical industry. Founded in 1958, PhRMA lobbies on behalf of pharmaceutical companies.<ref name="NYT-20151127">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> PhRMA is headquartered in Washington, D.C.<ref name=":0" />

The organization has lobbied fiercely against allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices for Medicare recipients,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and filed lawsuits against the drug price provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At the state level, the organization has lobbied to prevent price limits and greater price transparency for drugs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The organization claims that higher prices incentivize research and development, even though pharmaceutical spending on marketing exceeds that spent on research,<ref name="Brezis2008">Template:Cite journal</ref> including off-label promotion that has resulted in settlements in the billions of dollars.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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), Americans for Prosperity, and Americans for Tax Reform.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The organization has also lobbied against lowering drug prices internationally. The most visible conflict has been over AIDS drugs in Africa. Despite the role that patents have played in maintaining higher drug costs for public health programs across Africa, the organization worked to minimize the effect of the Doha Declaration, which said that TRIPS should not prevent countries from dealing with public health crises and allowed for compulsory licenses.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The organization also opposed a World Trade Organization TRIPS Agreement waiver during the COVID-19 pandemic, which would have reduced the price of COVID-19 vaccines for low-income countries.<ref name="apartheid">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

MembershipEdit

LeadershipEdit

Daniel O'Day, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Gilead Sciences is chairman of the PhRMA board. Albert Bourla, DVM, PhD, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer, is board chair-elect and Paul Hudson, Chief Executive Officer of Sanofi, is board treasurer.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</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 lobbying group,<ref name="Whorunsgov">whorunsgov.com Template:Webarchive</ref> Billy Tauzin, a former Republican congressman from Louisiana, and John J. Horan, former CEO and chairman of Merck & Co.<ref name="Post">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

MembersEdit

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, Genmab, Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Incyte, Ipsen, Johnson & Johnson, Lundbeck, Merck & Co., Neurocrine Biosciences, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Pfizer, Sage Therapeutics, Sanofi, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, and UCB.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

ProgramsEdit

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">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</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>Template:Cite news</ref>

The company has advocated abroad in South Africa regarding pharmaceutical drug intellectual property rules.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2017, the organization had revenue of $455 million, $128 million of which was spent on lobbying activities.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</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>Template:Cite news</ref>

In January 2018, the organization introduced the "Let's Talk About Cost" website, which made the argument that much of the cost of medication goes to middlemen unassociated with pharmaceutical companies.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":1" />

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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