STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about pharma lobbying, Bristol’s deal with a Chinese partner, and more

Top of the morning to you, and a fine one it is. Sunny skies and mild breezes are enveloping the Pharmalot campus once again. Who could ask for anything more? Actually, we could. Specifically, we would like another cup of stimulation. So off we go to the Pharmalot cafeteria to fire up the coffee kettle. Our choice today is maple cinnamon French toast. Please feel free to join us. Meanwhile, we have assembled a few items of interest for you to peruse. We hope you have a smashing day and conquer the world. And of course, do stay in touch. … The 17 pharmaceutical companies anchoring TrumpRx, the White House’s new prescription drug-pricing program, poured more than $130 million into federal lobbying in 2025 — a nearly 23% surge that outpaced the broader industry as the plan was being shaped behind the scenes, according to OpenSecrets, the nonprofit that tracks campaign financing and lobbying. Those companies accounted for more than a quarter of the record $457.3 million spent on lobbying last year across the pharmaceutical and health products industry. And while newly filed 2026 first-quarter reports show no slowdown — industry-wide spending topped $131 million, a 5.7% year-over-year increase — the most consequential lobbying push came in 2025, ahead of TrumpRx’s February launch. Eli Lilly paused its obesity awareness campaign in India after the nation’s drugs regulator warned the company it could violate rules against advertising prescription ​medicines to consumers even indirectly, Reuters reports. The campaign titled “We Know Now” was launched in mid-2025, ‌shortly after Lilly introduced its Mounjaro diabetes and obesity treatment in India. Its message focused on reframing obesity as a chronic disease rather than a personal failing. The campaign featured newspaper ads, social media posts, billboards, collaborations with Bollywood celebrities, and posters in a few residential communities