7 ms·
Don't forget to add stuff like banning Canadian drug imports. Medicine absolutely should be validated before being sold in a country, but other than that, I see
by mtgx 10y ago
Don't forget to add stuff like banning Canadian drug imports. Medicine absolutely should be validated before being sold in a country, but other than that, I see no reason why Canadian companies, or companies from other countries, couldn't sell a competing drug in the U.S. for whatever price they want.
Obama played a big role in banning this type of imports. Just saying. And TPP/TTIP would make this problem much worse, and virtually irreversible, because then they can just say "well, we wish we could change the monopoly laws now, but it's in the treaty, you see...so tough luck."
- Houshalter 10y agoThere are ridiculous levels of regulatory capture. E.g. epi pens are off patent and there are many competing companies in Europe, but the FDA refuses to approve any of them. Or cancer drugs that have been used for decades in Europe very effectively with tons of data there to support them, but the FDA refuses to allow them. One time they even required a drug to have a trial with more patients than exist in the US with that disease. They kill way more people than they save by preventing terminally ill patients from getting life saving drugs. And raising the cost developing them. The FDA needs to be shut down. Perhaps replaced with something like a prediction market, where people can bet on how likely a drug is to pass a trial or even work in specific patients.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- philh 10y ago> epi pens are off patent and there are many competing companies in Europe, but the FDA refuses to approve any of them Not entirely true: there's adrenaclick. But if a doctor writes "epipen", the pharmacist isn't allowed to give you an adrenaclick, even though that kind of substitution is usually allowed. http://slatestarcodex.com/2016/08/29/reverse-voxsplaining-drugs-vs-chairs/ http://slatestarcodex.com/2016/08/29/reverse-voxsplaining-dr...
- vonmoltke 10y agoIt's not allowed in this case because the FDA, rightly or wrongly, wants the patient trained in the use of the specific injector they are being prescribed. Having never needed one I don't know what the practical differences between the operation of an Epipen injector and Adrenaclick injector are, but the FDA seems to think they exist.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- leakybit 10y agoOne reason Pharma companies in other countries can sell drugs for far cheaper is that actual manufacturing costs of most drugs are pennies. Once an American company discovers a safe and effective drug, foreign companies can simply look at the publications on how to synthesize the drug and don't have to spend any cash on R&D.