US presidential hopefuls stake their positions on drug industry

The US presidential primary process underway is unusual, in that none of the hopefuls have prior experience as either President or Vice President, the first occasion that this is the case for both Democrats nor Republicans since 1928, according to the Brookings Institution. In fact, only one of the fringe candidates for the Republican ticket, Representative Ron Paul (Texas), has previously been on a ballot as a presidential candidate for a minor political party. As a result, the issue of where candidates may stand on pharmaceutical industry-related issues is not always clear.

The Democratic side has so far produced two clear favorites, Senators Hillary Clinton (New York, elected in 2000) and Barack Obama (Illinois, elected in 2004). The former has already received significant campaign finance backing in her 2006 senatorial re-election campaign and in her current efforts from the health care sector, including drug firms. Both Democratic Senators have expressed support for similar universal health care schemes. The perception is that there are advantages and disadvantages from such a program. Although it is unclear whether the Democrats, at their convention in Denver, Colorado, in August will choose their first woman or first ethnic minority candidate, the policy position for the pharmaceutical industry is likely to be largely unaffected by the contender's identity.

Universal health care: opps and threats