5 ms·

Pharma companies also make and study dozens of drugs that don't make it. We need the successful drugs to fund the unsuccessful ones. Given that I believe there

Pharma companies also make and study dozens of drugs that don't make it. We need the successful drugs to fund the unsuccessful ones. Given that I believe there are still many more amazing drugs and medical interventions to be discovered, I don't think we should be reducing the profit to be earned in this space (because that's what induces people to continue to invest in research). When you look at cost per life saved, pharmaceuticals are a bargain compared to hospitals or other parts of our medical system (esp. in the US).

plumeria 2y ago
Would a NASA-like agency that funds vaccine research but keeps the IP “open source” work as an alternative to regular pharma companies?
- untaintedminty 2y ago
  NASA gets funded because it provides access to space, which is strategic concern. Open-source medical IP is not, so I guess - no.
  - whatshisface 2y ago
    The air force has its own access to space. NASA gets funded because it is popular and the United States is a democracy.
    - untaintedminty 2y ago
      Fair point on air force providing strategic access to space. As for democracy, heh, let's say it's open to interpretation ;).
  - TaylorAlexander 2y ago
    Seems like eradicating disease and illness worldwide is a pretty strategic concern for humanity. I guess it’s like climate change. We can’t beat our neighbors by solving it so who cares, but these feel like things our species is really gonna have to start solving. But maybe we won’t and we will just make life unnecessarily hard for most human beings, when we could be stopping climate change and eradicating AIDS.
    - untaintedminty 2y ago
      As a human being, I totally get you. We should be doing much better than this. But, realistically, governments are responsible to their electorates only. As for the global humanity, first question is who's going to foot the bill and imagine global powers today coming to a consensus on that?!
- milesskorpen 2y ago
  We could do that. But generally businesses are better at allocating capital than government, and less and less research is funded by government these days so I don't think the government has a strong track record.

plumeria 2y ago

Would a NASA-like agency that funds vaccine research but keeps the IP “open source” work as an alternative to regular pharma companies?

untaintedminty 2y ago
NASA gets funded because it provides access to space, which is strategic concern. Open-source medical IP is not, so I guess - no.
- whatshisface 2y ago
  The air force has its own access to space. NASA gets funded because it is popular and the United States is a democracy.
  - untaintedminty 2y ago
    Fair point on air force providing strategic access to space. As for democracy, heh, let's say it's open to interpretation ;).
- TaylorAlexander 2y ago
  Seems like eradicating disease and illness worldwide is a pretty strategic concern for humanity. I guess it’s like climate change. We can’t beat our neighbors by solving it so who cares, but these feel like things our species is really gonna have to start solving. But maybe we won’t and we will just make life unnecessarily hard for most human beings, when we could be stopping climate change and eradicating AIDS.
  - untaintedminty 2y ago
    As a human being, I totally get you. We should be doing much better than this. But, realistically, governments are responsible to their electorates only. As for the global humanity, first question is who's going to foot the bill and imagine global powers today coming to a consensus on that?!
milesskorpen 2y ago
We could do that. But generally businesses are better at allocating capital than government, and less and less research is funded by government these days so I don't think the government has a strong track record.