In this new world order of supercorporations who earn their phantom profits by investing in politics, it is the “small businesses” who are being stifled and frozen out. Building a better mouse trap no longer matters, because the Acme Mouse Trap Company is writing legislation that makes it impossible to sell yours. Acme can build the shittiest mouse trap in the world, and never have to innovate, because their market is protected, their failures are subsidized and they pay no taxes. That gives them more money to plug back into the political system, and the cycle begins again.

Obama’s two intelligence heads, Leon Panetta and Dennis Blair, supported GAO oversight of intelligence activities before–presumably–they supported yesterday’s veto threat of GAO oversight.

President Barack Obama told House Democrats on Thursday that he wants to reduce the amount of time certain biotechnology treatments are protected under an agreement in both the House and Senate bills

As psychiatrists who provide critical psychological counseling and support for many patients living with HIV/AIDS in San Francisco, Drs. Tsai and Rosenlicht have observed firsthand how “evergreening” by the pharmaceutical industry has adversely affected their patients. They respond here to Rep. Anna Eschoo’s recent comments indicating her continued support for the biologics bill.

With the insurance companies crying “we win,” members of Congress are either going to give them what they want or stop the looting. We hope Keith Ellison will be there when it counts. We already know Tammy Baldwin won’t.

Keith Ellison’s phone: (612) 522-1212 (MN), (202) 225-4755 (DC)

Tammy Baldwin’s phone: (608) 258-9800 (WI), (202) 225-2906 (DC)

Maybe granting drug companies an “indefinite monopoly” (in the words of Henry Waxman) isn’t the greatest idea? Even if you think someone will wave a magic wand and make biologic drugs available to you, the $50,000 to $300,000 annual pricetag is going to put it out of the reach of countries already struggling to provide health care.

Ask Sherrod Brown to save us from PhRMA and the Eshoo/Hagan/ lobbyist-written biologics legislation HERE.

Ask Sherrod Brown to save us from PhRMA and the Eshoo/Hagan/ lobbyist-written biologics legislation HERE. Well, we now know that 42 bipartisan members of the House were willing to act as PhRMA’s fax machines. I guess it shouldn’t have been a surprise — 80 House Dems signed a letter to Henry Waxman, telling him to [...]

Earlier today, I noted the curious absence of Anna Eshoo and Joe Barton in the NYT story about Genentech writing speeches for those supporting biologics in the health care reform bill.

Along with the Republican biotech-paid whores, there were a bunch of Democratic biotech-paid whores.

When important cancer drugs can’t go into cheaper generic forms, and cancer and AIDS patients around the world can’t afford them, they should all remember the helpful role they played.

The rest of us can ask Sherrod Brown to save us from PhRMA and this truly shitty piece of lobbyist-written legislation HERE.