As Washington aims to rein in soaring drug prices, the spending by the industry’s main trade group and seven key drugmakers has climbed to a level not seen in a decade.

The disclosed outlays by these enterprises to influence Washington climbed to a total of about $70 million in 2018, the second-highest level ever behind their spending of $87 million in 2009, when Obamacare was beginning to shake up the health-care sector. That’s shown in the adjacent chart and based on data from OpenSecrets.org, a website tracking money in politics that’s run by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

The trade group is the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, also known as PhRMA, and the seven companies are those that were invited to a February grilling by the Senate Finance Committee — AbbVie Inc. ABBV, -1.52% , AstraZeneca PLC AZN, -2.74% AZN, -3.41% , Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. BMY, -1.14% , Johnson & Johnson JNJ, -0.35% , Merck & Co. Inc. MRK, -0.24% , Pfizer Inc. PFE, -1.00% and Sanofi SA SNY, -0.47% SAN, -0.23% .

So far this year, pharma’s lobbying spending is staying sizeable. PhRMA spent $9.91 million to influence Washington in the first quarter, according to a disclosure filed in late April. And the Q1 total is $10.01 million when the trade group’s subsidiaries are included, says a tally from OpenSecrets.org.

Meanwhile, AbbVie laid out $2.68 million during this year’s first three months, AstraZeneca spent $1.06 million, Bristol-Myers paid $1.2 million, J&J shelled out $1.46 million, Merck ran through $2.76 million, Pfizer disbursed $4.2 million and Sanofi, $1.67 million.

In total for the first quarter, the trade group and the seven companies spent about $25 million, suggesting they could set a new record this year.

“There’s just such an increase in activity from lawmakers that it’s really not surprising to see an increase in lobbying activity as well,” Lindsay Bealor Greenleaf, a former registered lobbyist for drug manufacturers, told MarketWatch. She is currently director of policy at consulting firm ADVI Health, where drugmakers and physician groups are among her clients.

When asked to comment on its recent lobbying spending, a Sanofi spokeswoman said the company “regularly engages with policymakers to promote public policies that support patient access to the medicines they need and an environment that promotes and rewards innovation and scientific advancement.”

“We continue to engage with policy makers and others about the proposed solutions regarding patient access and affordability while continuing to support scientific innovation,” an AstraZeneca spokeswoman said. The proposals include reforming the U.S. rebates system, capping out-of-pocket costs for Medicare patients and having greater transparency across the biopharmaceutical supply chain, she said.

PhRMA and Bristol-Myers declined to comment, while AbbVie, J&J, Merck and Pfizer didn’t respond to requests for comment.

“Big Pharma is clearly feeling the heat,” said the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing in a statement on PhRMA’s first-quarter lobbying. That campaign, which regularly criticizes drugmakers, is backed by health insurers, hospital operators, physician groups, the AARP and pharmacy benefit managers, a sector that also has drawn flak on Capitol Hill for its role in pricing.

Underscoring Washington’s interest in lowering drug prices, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders on April 30 said President Donald Trump and top Democratic lawmakers agreed during a much-anticipated infrastructure meeting that they should get together again “in the near future” to discuss prices for prescription medicines. Trump feels “drug prices should be much lower than they are today,” Sanders also said.

The federal government’s efforts to rein in pharmaceutical prices have included bills that aim to deter pharma companies from blocking or delaying generic competition, as well as a Trump administration plan to curb rebates that have gone to pharmacy benefit managers. In addition, another bill would require drug makers to justify large price hikes and high launch prices.

At a Capitol Hill hearing in early May, Texas GOP Rep. Michael Burgess offered a warning to witnesses who represented drug makers and other health-care companies.

“You all have the knowledge and expertise to solve these problems. We lack that knowledge and expertise, but if you don’t solve it, we will,” said Burgess, the ranking member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s health subcommittee. He added that the companies probably won’t like lawmakers’ solutions. The hearing was titled “Lowering Prescription Drug Prices: Deconstructing the Drug Supply Chain.”

Shares in AbbVie are down 13% this year, AstraZeneca is off by 1% and Bristol-Myers has lost 11%.

J&J’s stock is up 7% and Merck has advanced 3%, while Pfizer has slipped 4% and Sanofi is down 4%. The S&P 500 SPX, -0.17% has outperformed the seven pharma stocks, gaining 14%.

This is an updated version of a report that was first published on May 2, 2019.