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Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Brown “disappointed and discouraged” that committee won’t push generics
Sen. Sherrod Brown faced a setback late Monday, July 13, in his efforts to create a pathway to generic biologic drugs.
His amendment to the health care reform bill, which would’ve given biologic drugs a seven-year period of exclusivity on the market before generics could be introduced, failed in the Senate Health, Environment, Labor and Pensions Committee. The committee instead opted for a 12-year period where they could go without competition.
Biologic drugs, typically administered by a health care professional, include Herceptin, which is administered for breast cancer, and Remicade, a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. They can be incredibly expensive: Annual treatment for Herceptin runs about $48,000 and Remicade runs about $20,000 for a year. Part of the reason is there’s no current route to producing generic versions of these drugs.
Brown, D-Ohio, had hoped to give biologic drug producers a seven-year period to recoup the cost of creating the drugs, arguing 12 years was too much time and cut off access to for some consumers who needed the drugs. While costs for some biologic drugs are up to $100,000 a year, the average household in Ohio makes $46,000 a year, he said.
The vote against his amendment, he said, “was not in the best interest of taxpayers, it was in the best interest of the large drug companies.” He blamed his amendment’s defeat on the pharmaceutical industry’s influence over his fellow senators, and vowed to renew his fight when the bill hits the Senate floor.
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Mallory endorses Fisher
Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory Tuesday, July 14, endorsed Lt. Governor Lee Fisher in his bid for the U.S. Senate, saying Fisher “has a deep understanding of the economic opportunities and challenges facing Ohio’s cities.”
“Lee has spent his career fighting for hard-working families, and he will be a champion for them in the Senate,” Mallory said in a statement issued by the Fisher campaign. “No one is more focused on keeping good-paying jobs in Ohio and creating new economic opportunities for our state.”
Fisher’s been bringing in the endorsements lately, including endorsements from 10 female Ohio legislators, the UAW and the Teamsters. He faces Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner in the Democratic primary to replace Sen. George Voinovich, who is retiring at the end of 2010. On the Republican platform, former U.S. Rep. Rob Portman and northern Ohio auto dealer Tom Ganley are running.
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Churches look to block slot machine plan
The Ohio Council of Churches and the United Methodist Church plan to ask the Ohio Supreme Court to declare the slot machine proposal as unconstitutional and pressure lawmakers to come up with other ways to raise money to pay for state services.
Lawmakers adopted a $50.5 billion, two-year operating budget on Monday, July 13, that calls for allowing slot machines at Ohio’s seven horse racetracks. The slots are expected to raise $933 million over two years to help pay for K-12 education in Ohio.
The Ohio Council of Churches is expected to hold a press conference Wednesday July 15 at the Statehouse to discuss their opposition campaign.
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Coughlin exits governor’s race; clears GOP field for Kasich
State Sen. Kevin Coughlin won’t be seeking the GOP nomination for governor next year.
Coughlin, from Cuyahoga Falls, announced in an e-mail on Monday, July 13, that “now is not my time.”
“Coming off so many years in the legislature and in the current economic environment, I just don’t have have the motivation to raise the financial resources to wage a successful campaign,” said Coughlin.
His departure reinforces former U.S. Rep. John Kasich’s status as the frontrunner for the GOP nomination. Kasich, of suburban Columbus, formally launched his campaign on June 1.
Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland is expected to seek re-election.
