Amylin spent $540K lobbying government in 3Q

WASHINGTON - Biotech drugmaker Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. spent $540,000 lobbying the federal government in the third quarter, according to a recent disclosure form.

Amylin lobbied on legislation that would allow the Food and Drug Administration to approve generic copies of biotech drugs and on drug safety issues. The San Diego-based company also lobbied on issues surrounding Medicare funding, diabetes research, and other issues.

A key issue for biotech companies centers on whether Congress takes action on a pathway for the approval of generic biotechnology drugs. The current approval system with the FDA is only set up for chemical compounds and not the harder to develop biotech drugs, which are developed using living cells.

Generic drug developers and biotech companies have been at odds over several measures, especially the longevity of patent protection.

Besides Congress, Amylin lobbied the FDA, Department of Health and Human Services, Commerce Department, and the White House in the July-September period, according to a form filed Oct. 17 with the House Clerk's office.

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