Ron Wyden: “this amendment is very specific in that it directs the National Institutes of Health to bring to the Senate by March 31…”

“this amendment is very specific in that it directs the National Institutes of Health to bring to the Senate by March 31, 2001, a specific proposal for ensuring that research funded by the taxpayer be recognized in the development of pharmaceuticals, and that the companies that benefit from that research pay reasonable rates of return on the investment by the taxpayer. I believe it is fair to all parties--to entrepreneurs, to researchers, to those in the pharmaceutical sector--and to all sides because it recognizes that this is a difficult issue. There are some technical questions with respect to how this is done. In particular, the nature of the pharmaceutical discovery is one that has to be thought through very carefully. But at the same time acceptance of this amendment would bring a sense of urgency to this issue. The Congress has a long history on this question. But the fact is that for some years there has not been adequate recognition of the fact that the taxpayer has done much of the heavy lifting in getting these pharmaceuticals to market. With this amendment we will ensure when the taxpayers play a significant role in a blockbuster drug that ends up producing very significant profits for an individual company that the taxpayers' investment will be recognized.”