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This is great, we're trying everything except what the real problem is! Look at the Martin shkreli situation, there was another one like that before too. How di
by deepnotderp 10y ago
This is great, we're trying everything except what the real problem is! Look at the Martin shkreli situation, there was another one like that before too. How did patents play a role there?
High profit margins are not a bad thing, as long as people can still afford them. What we need is the proper type of regulations, I agree we need to streamline the fda process, but that alone is not going to solve things.
There are a few options I've heard, such as a special Patent for drugs which after ten years becomes a fair terms license Patent. Another one is that he government could exercise March in rights.
- criddell 10y agoI like the march-in rights idea. It sounds similar to eminent domain. If eminent domain can be used to expropriate private property for public use, it seems like there could be something similar for intellectual property.
- refurb 10y agoAnd what do you think the impact on biotech VC money will be? Would you invest in a company if the gov't could confiscate the intellectual property?
- criddell 10y agoI think the impact would be similar to the impact eminent domains laws have on real estate investment. What do you think the impact of withholding drugs from those that can't afford them could be?
- refurb 10y agoEminent domain in real estate means the property owner gets reimbursed for the fair value of the property taken. If the gov't is willing to fork over a few billion dollars to drug manufacturers, then yeah , no impact to VC investment.
- StClaire 10y agoI'm not saying we can fix all the problems with drug prices by fixing the patent system. Shitheads (am I allowed to say that?) like Shkreli will always do shitty things. But those cases don't drive most drug prices
- frgtpsswrdlame 10y ago>Shitheads (am I allowed to say that?) like Shkreli will always do shitty things. But those cases don't drive most drug prices Are you sure about that? Shkreli himself disagrees with you, see his website: http://www.pharmaskeletons.com/ http://www.pharmaskeletons.com/
- deepnotderp 10y agoThe problem is that those people control an important and ever increasing number of drugs. And many pharma companies are no exception.
- microcolonel 10y agoI've not seen a case that what Shkreli did reduced the availability of his niche drug to patients.
- ceejayoz 10y agoThat's a strawman. Yes, most patients likely retained their access to the drug. The issue is more that we all wind up paying higher premiums so Shkreli can line his pockets with inflated proceeds and no alternatives.
- microcolonel 10y agoI doubt much money is spent on Daraprim overall. $75k is apparently the overall cost of a course of treatment to insurers, in addition to the two or three other drugs prescribed to reduce the side effects of the drug. It is apparently not in common use, Health Canada says that hospitals simply don't buy it anymore as of 2013, well before the price increase. I suspect that if there's an entire first-world nation which no longer purchases the drug in hospitals or pharmacies, sales volume is probably pretty low in the U.S. I don't see what kind of premium increase you could attribute to that.
- ceejayoz 10y agoWikipedia says it's on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, and while the number in the US on it may be low, it's not like this can't be done with other medications.
- mikeash 10y agoAre you proposing that every single patient using Thiola or Daraprim was either able to afford the new price or get someone else to pay for it?
- microcolonel 10y agoHe outright offered to send the drug at no cost to patients whose insurers did not cover it.