Why It Matters

The Alliance for Biopharmaceutical Competitiveness and Innovation filed a first quarter 2026 lobbying disclosure reporting $500,000 in spending but kept its cards close by not disclosing specific issues or legislation it was lobbying on.

The filing, handled by Washington Tax and Public Policy Group LLC, is the latest in a pattern of quarterly activity from the Alliance. Prior filings show a consistent focus on corporate and international tax policy, including provisions directly relevant to the biopharmaceutical industry. The lobbying disclosure biopharmaceutical filing stands out for its silence on specifics, even as the Alliance's prior disclosures were notably detailed.

The Alliance's prior filings make clear the stakes: the organization has been lobbying on provisions of the tax code that govern how multinational pharmaceutical companies are taxed on intellectual property income, R&D expenditures, and foreign earnings. Those issues are live in Congress right now, with the reconciliation process still reverberating through the tax-writing committees.

The central challenge for organizations like the Alliance is straightforward. Global minimum tax agreements negotiated through the OECD — specifically Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 are threatening to erode the tax advantages that U.S. biopharmaceutical companies have historically enjoyed on IP income earned abroad. A legislative solution would involve modifying or protecting provisions like IRC Section 250 (the deduction for foreign-derived intangible income) and Section 951A (the global intangible low-taxed income, or GILTI, regime). Past filings show the Alliance has been focused on exactly those provisions.

By the Numbers

Data shows that The Alliance is a consistent player when it comes to lobbying. Pharmaceutical advocacy spending by this organization over the past year totals more than $1.5 million across five filings, all handled by Washington Tax and Public Policy Group LLC.

Here's the breakdown:

The pattern of alternating high and low quarters — $450K, $70K, $450K, $70K — makes the $500,000 First Quarter 2026 figure notable. It is the highest single-quarter amount the Alliance has reported and breaks the prior pattern.

The lobbying team has remained unchanged throughout: Zach Price, Max Pedrotti, and Greg Nickerson, all of Washington Tax and Public Policy Group LLC. No new lobbyists were added and no firms were changed, suggesting a stable, long-term engagement rather than a reactive hire.

Congressional experience on the team is relevant. Greg Nickerson has a background on the House Ways and Means Committee — the tax-writing committee with direct jurisdiction over the IRC provisions the Alliance has historically lobbied on. Max Pedrotti previously served as Legislative Director for Rep. Carol D. Miller (R-WV). No congressional staff record was found in the database for Zach Price.

The Agenda

The first quarter 2026 filing lists no specific issues lobbied and no legislation. That's a departure from prior quarters, which were detailed and tell a story.

Based on prior pharmaceutical lobbying records, the Alliance has focused on:

  • OECD Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 global tax negotiations and their impact on the U.S. tax base and its territories
  • IRC Section 174 — governing the amortization of research and development expenditures
  • IRC Section 951A (GILTI) and Section 250 (FDII) — the paired provisions governing taxation of intangible income
  • IRC Section 163(j) — interest deductibility
  • IRC Section 41 — the R&D tax credit
  • Multiple sections of H.R. 1, the reconciliation bill, including provisions numbered 70301 through 70361

The Alliance also cited S. 2021, the Close the Round-Tripping Loophole Act, in prior filings. This is a bill that could affect how pharmaceutical royalties and IP income are taxed when routed through foreign subsidiaries.

Broader Context

The policy environment surrounding biopharm industry lobbying in early 2026 was unusually active.

In April 2026, the Trump administration announced tariffs of up to 100 percent on certain imported pharmaceutical products, framed as a national security and supply chain measure. Companies entering onshoring agreements with the Department of Commerce were offered a zero percent tariff rate through January 20, 2029, according to a White House fact sheet.

Separately, the administration's proposed fiscal year 2026 budget included a roughly 40 percent cut to NIH funding — a development that ITIF flagged as a threat to U.S. biopharmaceutical innovation leadership.

In Congress, the June 2025 hearing "Pursuing the Golden Age of Innovation: Strategic Priorities in Biotechnology" brought witness testimony from the director of Nimble, the National Institute for Innovation and Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals, who described public-private partnerships aimed at de-risking biomanufacturing innovation. Separately, Sens. Chris Coons and Ted Budd introduced the Biomanufacturing Excellence Act, which would create a National Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Center of Excellence within NIST.

The IRA's small-molecule drug negotiation disparity — a nine-year exemption window for small molecules versus thirteen years for biologics before Medicare price negotiation kicks in has also remained a live issue, with industry advocates pushing for the bipartisan EPIC Act to address it, according to ITIF.

Competitive Landscape

Washington Tax and Public Policy Group LLC's client roster during the same period reveals the competitive context for the Alliance's lobbying. The firm simultaneously represented the Tax Reform Coalition — which lobbied on overlapping IRC provisions and H.R. 1 — as well as individual pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Regeneron, Moderna, and Bayer, all on similar corporate and international tax provisions.

That overlap is notable. The Alliance appears to function as a coordinating vehicle for biopharma tax interests, operating alongside — and potentially in concert with — individual company filings on the same provisions. The Alliance's half a millon dollars first quarter 2026 figure makes it the firm's highest-spending client in that quarter based on available lobbying disclosure data.

The Bottom Line

The Alliance for Biopharmaceutical Competitiveness and Innovation spent $500,000 in the first quarter of 2026 on lobbying through Washington Tax and Public Policy Group LLC — its highest single-quarter expenditure on record. Prior filings show a sustained focus on international and corporate tax provisions that directly affect how biopharmaceutical companies are taxed on IP income and R&D spending. The blank issues field in the current filing leaves the specific agenda for this quarter undisclosed, but the lobbying team, the firm, and the spending trajectory remain consistent.

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