3 ms·

If Europe makes several more blockbusters at the expense of the US pharma industry, I'd expect to see American price regulation take hold. Prices are unregulat

If Europe makes several more blockbusters at the expense of the US pharma industry, I'd expect to see American price regulation take hold. Prices are unregulated because American pharma companies benefit disproportionately from this arrangement.

lotsofpulp 2y ago
Why would that matter? Novo is a publicly traded company on Nasdaq, surely lots and lots of Americans (including American taxpayer funded DB pension fund) have benefited from Novo stock going up. No less than any other “American” pharmaceutical company. It is also controlled by a charity that does global research. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novo_Holdings_A/S https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novo_Holdings_A/S
- EasyMark 2y ago
  A few thousand vs 100’s of millions of fat Americans who could beneficially use this? That hardly seems fair.
  - lotsofpulp 2y ago
    Stockholders are global, there is no disproportionate gain for Europeans. Novo trades on an American stock market, and Americans (whoever they may be) are reaping just as much of a benefit from Novo as they would from Eli/Pfizer/etc.
- maxlybbert 2y ago
  I have no clue where most drug research or drug development takes place. Right now the discussion tends to end up with US companies saying they charge so much for new medications to recoup the costs of ideas that didn’t pan out. Since only the drug companies know what didn’t pan out, it’s hard to refute. If most drug research happens in the US (and, really, I don’t know if that’s true), then it suggests that the US model does a good job of incentivizing research. If another approach could get the same results, it would refute the drug companies’ argument.
  - lotsofpulp 2y ago
    > Right now the discussion tends to end up with US companies saying they charge so much for new medications to recoup the costs of ideas that didn’t pan out. This is just public relations, because “we want to make as much money as possible” is not good PR. However, everyone wants to make as much money as possible, so faulting pharmaceutical companies for that is stupid. It’s just business. > Since only the drug companies know what didn’t pan out, it’s hard to refute. Lots of pharmaceutical businesses don’t pan out. For every Novo Nordisk, there are a lot of upstart pharma companies that go nowhere and lots of gambling day traders that lose money on the stock. Otherwise, an index of purely pharma companies would be the best performing asset class. > If most drug research happens in the US (and, really, I don’t know if that’s true), then it suggests that the US model does a good job of incentivizing research. If another approach could get the same results, it would refute the drug companies’ argument. Exactly! If it’s so easy to develop medicines, then do it. All these governments around the world are free to invest tens of billions of dollars, and yet none take up the cause.
    - Jensson 2y ago
      > All these governments around the world are free to invest tens of billions of dollars, and yet none take up the cause. It is only expensive in USA, why would anyone else pay to make it cheaper in USA? Until USA changes there is no incentive for anyone else to pay for it. And a very large share of drug research is happening in Europe, its just sold at high prices in USA as well just like American drug companies do. Just because non Americans makes a drug doesn't make it cheap in USA.

lotsofpulp 2y ago

Why would that matter? Novo is a publicly traded company on Nasdaq, surely lots and lots of Americans (including American taxpayer funded DB pension fund) have benefited from Novo stock going up. No less than any other “American” pharmaceutical company. It is also controlled by a charity that does global research. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novo_Holdings_A/S https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novo_Holdings_A/S

EasyMark 2y ago
A few thousand vs 100’s of millions of fat Americans who could beneficially use this? That hardly seems fair.
- lotsofpulp 2y ago
  Stockholders are global, there is no disproportionate gain for Europeans. Novo trades on an American stock market, and Americans (whoever they may be) are reaping just as much of a benefit from Novo as they would from Eli/Pfizer/etc.
maxlybbert 2y ago
I have no clue where most drug research or drug development takes place. Right now the discussion tends to end up with US companies saying they charge so much for new medications to recoup the costs of ideas that didn’t pan out. Since only the drug companies know what didn’t pan out, it’s hard to refute. If most drug research happens in the US (and, really, I don’t know if that’s true), then it suggests that the US model does a good job of incentivizing research. If another approach could get the same results, it would refute the drug companies’ argument.
- lotsofpulp 2y ago
  > Right now the discussion tends to end up with US companies saying they charge so much for new medications to recoup the costs of ideas that didn’t pan out. This is just public relations, because “we want to make as much money as possible” is not good PR. However, everyone wants to make as much money as possible, so faulting pharmaceutical companies for that is stupid. It’s just business. > Since only the drug companies know what didn’t pan out, it’s hard to refute. Lots of pharmaceutical businesses don’t pan out. For every Novo Nordisk, there are a lot of upstart pharma companies that go nowhere and lots of gambling day traders that lose money on the stock. Otherwise, an index of purely pharma companies would be the best performing asset class. > If most drug research happens in the US (and, really, I don’t know if that’s true), then it suggests that the US model does a good job of incentivizing research. If another approach could get the same results, it would refute the drug companies’ argument. Exactly! If it’s so easy to develop medicines, then do it. All these governments around the world are free to invest tens of billions of dollars, and yet none take up the cause.
  - Jensson 2y ago
    > All these governments around the world are free to invest tens of billions of dollars, and yet none take up the cause. It is only expensive in USA, why would anyone else pay to make it cheaper in USA? Until USA changes there is no incentive for anyone else to pay for it. And a very large share of drug research is happening in Europe, its just sold at high prices in USA as well just like American drug companies do. Just because non Americans makes a drug doesn't make it cheap in USA.