Genentech Spends $1.2M Lobbying Federal Government

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Genentech Inc. spent just over $1.2 million lobbying the federal government in the third quarter, according to a recent disclosure form.

The South San Francisco-based company, now part of Swiss drug developer Roche, boosted its spending by 95 percent from $630,000 during the same period in 2009, mainly because it added lobbying costs previously reported by Roche under that company's pharmaceutical business. Genentech is responsible for Roche's pharmaceutical business in the U.S.

The spending marks an 8 percent decrease from just over $1.3 million in costs during the second quarter of this year.

Genentech focused on a range of health care related issues, including federal spending for pandemic flu preparedness. The company's parent, Roche, makes the antiviral Tamiflu.

The company continued to focus on the implementation of a new regulatory system for biosimilars, or copies of biotechnology drugs. The Food and Drug Administration previously only regulated the approval of generic drugs made from chemical compounds, but did not have a system in place for similar versions of biotech drugs, or biosimilars, which are developed using more complicated living cells. The system now gives new biotechnology drugs 12 years of competitive protection from biosimilars.

Other issues during the July to September period included patent settlements and patent rights, corporate taxes, and prescription drug reimbursement through federal programs, according to a form Oct. 19 with the House clerk's office.

The company lobbied both chambers of Congress, the Food and Drug Administration, Health and Human Services Department, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Homeland Security, and the White House

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)