3 ms·

>>From the sound of things these diseases were until very recently isolated to poorer countries. Even today, with the increased number of cases, there might not

>>From the sound of things these diseases were until very recently isolated to poorer countries. Even today, with the increased number of cases, there might not be enough money to be made based on a few sick North Americans to justify tooling up to make a new drug. The article also says albendazole, the drug in question, can be purchased in the UK for $2. Why can I not start a pharma company that A) imports albendazole (and other rare disease drugs) from the UK and other 1st world country at a reasonable markup or B) orders albendazole, and other rare disease drugs, from the same manufacturer that makes it for the UK, and other 1st world countries, at a reasonable markup? I'm genuinely curious about the regulatory landscape of that question.

test1235 9y ago
GlaxoSmithKline produce Zentel[1] (manufactured in India), and they already operate in US[2]. 1. https://www.unitedpharmacies-uk.md/Zentel-Albendazole-400mg-1-Tablet-p-1811.html https://www.unitedpharmacies-uk.md/Zentel-Albendazole-400mg-... 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GlaxoSmithKline#Facilities https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GlaxoSmithKline#Facilities
rhino369 9y ago
I think our system is so fundamentally broken, you should be able to do that. But if you could, it would be an end run around the FDA. Might as well shut the FDA down in that case. If you add burdensome regulatory costs to some competitors (domestic pills) but not others (foreign pills), the others will win all business. That is an unfair playing field. So part of the deal with regulating drugs in America is that you can't import drugs from other countries. I think I'd probably allow importation of the exact drug, by the exact manufacturer. Or just set a price control saying you cannot sell a drug for more than 120% of the average price in the EU + Japan + Canada + Australia + NZ etc.
- justin66 9y ago
  > I think I'd probably allow importation of the exact drug, by the exact manufacturer. Well, right. It's pretty impossible to justify not allowing importation of the drug for any safety-related reasons if it is literally the same product from the same manufacturer.

test1235 9y ago

GlaxoSmithKline produce Zentel[1] (manufactured in India), and they already operate in US[2]. 1. https://www.unitedpharmacies-uk.md/Zentel-Albendazole-400mg-1-Tablet-p-1811.html https://www.unitedpharmacies-uk.md/Zentel-Albendazole-400mg-... 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GlaxoSmithKline#Facilities https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GlaxoSmithKline#Facilities

rhino369 9y ago

I think our system is so fundamentally broken, you should be able to do that. But if you could, it would be an end run around the FDA. Might as well shut the FDA down in that case. If you add burdensome regulatory costs to some competitors (domestic pills) but not others (foreign pills), the others will win all business. That is an unfair playing field. So part of the deal with regulating drugs in America is that you can't import drugs from other countries. I think I'd probably allow importation of the exact drug, by the exact manufacturer. Or just set a price control saying you cannot sell a drug for more than 120% of the average price in the EU + Japan + Canada + Australia + NZ etc.

justin66 9y ago
> I think I'd probably allow importation of the exact drug, by the exact manufacturer. Well, right. It's pretty impossible to justify not allowing importation of the drug for any safety-related reasons if it is literally the same product from the same manufacturer.