Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA, on Friday said the lobbying firm gained seven biotechnology companies.
The group, which is known for its focus on representing traditional drug developers such as Pfizer Inc. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., has been gaining more biotech companies as the line between the two types of drug developers continues to blur. Traditional pharmaceuticals are made using chemical compounds while biotech-based drugs are made with living cells.
The biotech industry has its own lobbying organization, called the Biotechnology Industry Organization.
The newest members of PhRMA include: Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Lexington, Mass; OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Melville, N.Y.; Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Cheshire, Conn.; Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Parsippany, N.J.; Talecris Biotherapeutics Inc. of Raleigh, N.C.; Vifor Pharma of Basking Ridge, N.J.; and Xoma Ltd. of Berkeley, Calif.
PhRMA has 38 members.