Medical device makers reported nearly $29 million in campaign contributions in 2012, with nearly 40% of that coming from just the top 5 donors.
Spending was led by medtech giant Medtronic (NYSE:MDT), with $4.9 million in reported contributions for the year, even with the amount the company doled out in 2011 when it was again the top spender. Medtronic again led the way with $4.1 million contributed in 2010, according to OpenSecrets.org.
Healthcare giant Baxter (NYSE:BAX) maintained a 3-year hold on the 2nd-place position, reporting $2.6 million in contributions in 2012 and $2.4 million in 2011. The company’s donations are down from the $3.4 million spend in 2010.
The industry has had much to lobby in recent years, including FDA user fee negotiations and efforts to repeal the medical device tax.
The top 10 funders for 2012 were:
Medtronic Inc – $4,900,000
Baxter International – $2,590,000
AdvaMed – $1,465,933
Boston Scientific Corp – $1,460,000
Edwards Lifesciences – $1,150,000
Invacare Corp – $960,000
Smith & Nephew – $935,000
Cook Group – $840,000
Biomet Inc – $750,000
Alere Inc – $595,000
St Jude Medical – $595,000
CCS Medical – $591,665
Becton, Dickinson & Co – $590,000
Varian Medical Systems – $570,000
Zimmer Inc – $535,574
For the full list, visit OpenSecrets.org.
