Top Issues

Health Care Reform

Issue Summary
The 111th Congress is poised to see significant action on issues to improve the access, affordability, and quality of health care coverage for all Americans, especially the uninsured.  The new Administration and the new Congress have declared comprehensive health reform a top priority.  There is also growing momentum and consensus on the need for action on health care reform within advocacy organizations, large and small employer communities, health care providers, and the states.  Merck has been an industry leader and strong supporter of comprehensive health care reform. [read more...]


Comparative Effectiveness Research 

Issue Summary
There are continuing conversations and debates in the federal policy arena that creating a new, national research initiative to compare the relative effectiveness of different health care interventions is long overdue.  There are powerful supporters of comparative effectiveness research (CER) in the House, the Senate and the Obama Administration, even though the specifics of what they support do vary. [read more...]

Biosimilars

Issue Summary
Unlike drugs approved by the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) at FDA, there is no regulatory process to obtain approval of copies of biologics (usually injectable, protein-based products) by the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). Several legislators introduced bills in the 110th Congress that would create a pathway for biosimilars to be approved by the FDA many of which have been reintroduced, as key Members and the Administration have expressed interest in passing such legislation in the 111th Congress. [read more...]


Importation/US Prescription Drug Pricing

Issue Summary
Several members of Congress support legislation that would legalize the importation of pharmaceuticals from certain industrialized countries which impose price controls on their medicines.  Merck opposes importation because it would compromise public trust in the manufacture and distribution of our medicines and harm the incentives that encourage Merck to conduct the high risk research and development that leads to new medicines. [read more...]

Medicare and Government Non-Interference in Drug Pricing

Issue Summary

On April 19, 2007, by a vote of 42 to 55, the Senate legislation to repeal the current prohibition against Secretarial interference in Medicare drug price negotiation failed to garner the 60 votes necessary to end debate on the motion to proceed on the legislation.  A motion to proceed seeks to bring a bill to the Senate floor for debate and amendment.  Such a procedural vote is usually highly partisan and falls along party lines.  Without the necessary votes to move the bill forward, the Senate was forced to move onto other legislation.  [read more...]

Issue Summary
Merck and other vaccine manufacturers are bringing forth an unprecedented number of new vaccines that offer the promise of preventing many significant public health problems.  However, Federal programs that support immunizations for uninsured and underinsured adults and children are not keeping pace with the rapidly increasing number of new vaccines that are recommended and, as a nation, we are grossly under-funded to reach adult populations through these programs.  Merck supports efforts to increase federal funding for immunization programs in order to keep pace with the introduction of new vaccines and expanded recommendations for use of existing vaccines. [read more...]