Probably so they could push through a trade bill that's going to allow big pharma to charge the people of emerging world nations American pharmaceutical prices. Win some lose some, right?

from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/0..._7649378.html:

WINNERS
3. PhRMA: The intellectual property terms in the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership will require a host of countries to grant long-term monopolies to big drug companies on prescription medications. That means members of the industry's biggest lobbying group can charge much higher drug prices without having to deal with competition from generics.


LOSERS
5. Sick Poor People: Hello, five-figure prescription drug prices! Those long-term drug monopolies mean big profits for pharmaceutical firms, but they have deeply troubling public health implications for the global poor, who can't foot the bill. Doctors Without Borders has called TPP "the most damaging trade agreement we have ever seen in terms of access to medicines for poor people."