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Legislative Update

Advertising Coalition Seeks Industry Support For
Towns/Buyer Amendment to Drug Safety Bill

The House Health Subcommittee and Full Energy and Commerce Committee Set to Vote June 19 & 21 on Sweeping Measures to Limit Drug Marketing

Congressmen Towns and Buyer will Offer Industry Compromise

June 15, 2007--The Advertising Coalition is asking drug marketing professionals to contact Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to urge support for a compromise measure that would strengthen FDA's marketing enforcement power but not enact the serious new limits on marketing in the drug safety bill currently before the Committee.

The compromise measure, expected to be offered by Congressmen Edolphus Towns (D-NY) and Steve Buyer (R-IN), tracks a similar compromise adopted by the full Senate in May. The compromise would enable FDA to fine repeated violators of its advertising rules, but would drop broad provisions that would suppress virtually all marketing of drugs.

Lobbyists working closely with The Advertising Coalition say that support for the compromise is building among both Democrats and Republicans on the Commerce Committee, but are worried that Representatives Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Henry Waxman (D-CA) will push hard next week to keep the current provisions. These lobbyists say that calls and e-mails from constituents are critical to their efforts to maintain and build support for the Towns/Buyer compromise.

"Although The Advertising Coalition is urging calls and e-mails to all Members on the Commerce Committee (see contact list), people who live or work in the New York area are being encouraged to thank Representative Towns for his assistance, and urge Representatives Engel and Weiner to support the Towns/Buyer amendment."

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