Drugmakers are unlikely to convince Congress to use an upcoming spending package to fix a so-called “donut hole” in healthcare coverage that’s poised to erode profits, people familiar with the legislation told the Washington Examiner, a stinging defeat and one that weakens the industry’s clout.

Since February, pharmaceutical companies have mounted an aggressive lobbying campaign against a provision included in an earlier funding bill that raised the portion of a treatment’s cost that companies must cover under the Medicare Part D program. Starting in 2019, manufacturers must provide an increased 70 percent discount on drugs offered to customers in the program’s donut hole, or individuals not at the catastrophic coverage level.