3 ms·
The same government that can't come up with sensible policies to regulate big pharma and gets played by all kinds of lobbyists suddenly is going to figure out h
by vasco 3y ago
The same government that can't come up with sensible policies to regulate big pharma and gets played by all kinds of lobbyists suddenly is going to figure out how to develop drugs more efficiently than the industry does?
- swores 3y agoI'm suggesting the government take the role of investor, replacing (or rather, overshadowing) the financial firms & private owners who are the current investors, not taking over the way the companies work. Could either give a body like the NIH a huge new budget to use for investing in pharma companies, or could pass a law that says any company that successfully raises X money with Y criteria (either in VC, or by IPO, or however) must automatically allow the government to buy x% at the same price (or a slight discount) as other buyers? And sure, lobbyists, money in politics and quality of current US politicians are a problem to face with pretty much any aspect of improving the country, but I don't think that's a reason to never discuss ideas about how to do so. (Then again I'm not American so I don't have horse in this race, but I feel similarly about my UK.)
- Nevermark 3y agoPumping dumb money into a sector isn't likely to translate into profits. It will translate to a bubble and a lot of opportunists taking the money. It isn't that it is impossible, but it would take a slow start, and sustained experimentation and organizational learning over many years, before the amount of money that could make a dent in the problem could reliably perform well. All while VCs would be lobbying to end the incursion, and the easier money - therefore lower returns, it would inflict on their territory.