evidence: Pharmaceutical and health product companies poured over a record $372 million into lobbying Congress and federal agencies last year, outspending every other industry and making up over half of all health sector lobbying efforts, OpenSecrets’ analysis of recent federal disclosure filings revealed. The industry suffered a legislative defeat, however, when a bill curtailing rising drug costs was signed into law. [...] This move was echoed by Moderna’s CEO in January, who expressed their intention to raise the price of its COVID vaccine to as much as $130 per dose. The new chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who has long expressed his dislike for drug companies and signaled the committee’s new work will focus on drug prices, urged the company to refrain from any price increases. Moderna Inc.’s lobbying expenditures were $690,000 in 2022. [...] Pharma Lobbyists take on The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022