Sens. Grassley (R-IA) and Kohl (D-WI) released a somewhat softer version of their Physician Payments Sunshine Act while praising Eli Lilly & Co. for endorsing the legislation.

Pfizer followed Eli Lilly's lead in posting a list of $10 million in grants and charitable contributions the company made to US medical, scientific and patient organizations during the first quarter of 2008 as "part of an ongoing drive throughout the company to increase transparency."

The head of the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce subcommittee is calling for tougher restrictions on DTC television advertising for prescription drugs.

A bill introduced in the House of Representatives last week would mandate reporting of all gifts to physicians worth more than $25, and violators could lose millions in tax deductions for advertising expenses.

Last week's meeting of an Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee gave some hope for a thaw in attitudes toward commercially supported CME, but supporters and providers remain anxious about the group's inquiry into conflicts of interest in medical research and medical education.

FDA deputy commissioner Janet Woodcock will return to the role of permanent director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research following a "national search" to fill the slot.

The UK's drugs regulatory agency said it would not prosecute GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for allegedly withholding clinical trials data related to its antidepressant Seroxat (paroxetine), sold in the US under the brand name Paxil.

The leader of the Massachusetts State Senate has proposed legislation banning all gifts to doctors from pharmaceutical companies. If enacted, the move would make the state the first in the country to ban gifts outright.

The Supreme Court split 4-4 on a narrow pre-emption case Monday, giving the green light to suits against Pfizer predecessor Warner Lambert.

PhRMA spent more than $22 million lobbying the federal government last year, nearly a 25% increase from the amount spent in 2006, disclosure records filed by the group last week show.