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New public health advocate won't leave a dry eye in the House

By revere on August 27, 2007.

We in public health need all the advocates we can get, so it's heartening to know that a major pharmaceutical company, Allergan, Inc., has hired a big name lobbying firm to "lobby on public health issues":

Allergan Inc., which makes eye care products and Botox anti-wrinkle injections, hired McKenna, Long & Aldridge to lobby the federal government.

The firm is expected to lobby on public health issues, according to a form posted online Aug. 8 by the Senate's public records office.

Under a federal law enacted in 1995, lobbyists are required to disclose activities that could influence members of the executive and legislative branches. They must register with Congress within 45 days of being hired or engaging in lobbying. (AP)

Not mentioned here is that Allergan also has another lobbying force, "the largest sales force in ophthalmology in North America, and has been ranked as the No. 1 U.S. sales force by ophthalmologists, according to an independent survey by Scott-Levin." So they've got it covered. The US Congress, the Executive Branch and the ophthalmologists.

We will all be safer from supply chain interruptions in the event of a flu pandemic once we have the Botox stockpiled. I'm not sure how much call there will be for Allergan's "dry eyes" remedies, but their glaucoma drugs are just the thing for pandemic flu prep tunnel vision.

Making the world safe for Botox. One wrinkle at a time.

Tags
big pharma

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