What one hand giveth . . .

In case there was any doubt, the White House made clear last week its deal with the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America to support healthcare reform had a December 2010 expiration date.

PhRMA learned how perishable its deal was on Valentine's day, when President Obama's fiscal 2012 budget proposal was released. It asked Congress to abrogate a key part of the PhRMA deal - and the most important element for the Biotechnology Industry Organization - by slashing the exclusivity for pioneer biologics to seven years from the 12 years established in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act...