By Donald Zuhn —

In March, we reported on the lobbying expenditures for a number of biotech and pharmaceutical companies in 2007.  For example, we noted that Millennium Pharmaceuticals had spent $1.28 million, Genentech $1.8 million, and AstraZeneca $4.1 million in 2007.  Topping each of these companies, however, was Abbott Laboratories, based in Chicago’s northern suburbs, which spent $4.4 million on lobbying in 2007.  Most of these funds presumably went to lobby on the patent reform and follow-on biologics bills that were being considered by Congress last year.

On Wednesday, Forbes.com reported that Abbott spent $880,000 on lobbying in the first quarter of 2008.  Abbott’s first quarter expenditures are probably not too surprising considering that patent reform legislation only recently stalled in the Senate.  With follow-on biologics legislation on the backburner and the economy struggling, it will be interesting to see if biotech and pharmaceutical companies begin to cut back on lobbying in the second quarter.

For additional information regarding this topic, please see:

• "Abbott Spent $4.4 Million on 2007 Lobbying Effort," March 17, 2008
• "Biotech and Pharma Companies Spent Millions on Lobbying in 2007," March 5, 2008
• "Millennium Pharmaceuticals Spent $1.28 Million on Lobbying in 2007," February 8, 2008