4 ms·
> maybe the prices shouldn't be set only by market forces?? It's (arguably) not the market here that's the problem, but the patent. The patent means that gener
by ultramancool 11y ago
> maybe the prices shouldn't be set only by market forces??
It's (arguably) not the market here that's the problem, but the patent. The patent means that generic manufacturers can't get in on the market and create a commodity out of it with a race to the bottom on price. The problem isn't the market, but the absolute lack of a market created by the exclusivity of a patent.
We need to find a way as a society that these companies can profit off the research and development of these drugs while still allowing generic manufacturers to do what they do best: create a real, competitive market to produce the drug in bulk.
Unfortunately I don't think there's any clear answers here.
- brianwawok 11y agoGovernment funding the research + selling the drugs at cost would benefit mankind overall... but then politicians would decide how many $ to spend researching which drug per year, which has it's own downsides..
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- ekianjo 11y ago> Government funding the research + selling the drugs at cost would benefit mankind overall... Wasnt that how NASA was supposed to work ? Oh wait, we know how it went...
- RodericDay 11y agoWe went to the moon?
- ekianjo 11y agoI'm talking about what happened to NASA after that. Obviously look at the ridiculous budgets they have now.
- JustSomeNobody 11y agoThe problem, yet again, is quarterly earnings reports. It takes sometimes billions to find the next new drug. In order to keep showing quarter after quarter of sustained growth that investors demand, they have to continue raising prices. Fixing patents, wouldn't necessarily fix this problem.
- ekianjo 11y ago> It takes sometimes billions to find the next new drug. In order to keep showing quarter after quarter of sustained growth that investors demand, they have to continue raising prices. you don't raise prices on drugs that easily, Prices changes are heavily regulated as well.
- judemelancon 11y agoI am aware of no such regulation in the USA. Are you?