2 ms·

While I'm excited by the possibilities and future improvements of this sort of research and therapy, the price strikes me as egregiously exorbitant. I don't rej

While I'm excited by the possibilities and future improvements of this sort of research and therapy, the price strikes me as egregiously exorbitant. I don't reject the notion that they should be duly compensated, but 250K/yr for 5 yrs is just insane. There is so much wrong with that. Genetic improvement shouldn't be built from the ground up as the territory of the extremely wealthy alone.

refurb 14y ago
It's price based on what the market will bear. A number of factors determine that:(1) the therapy helps patients a great deal (no other way to treat and the disease is fatal) (2) the patient population is small, so even at $250k per year, the total cost is low since so few patients exist Keep in mind that development costs are still in the 100s of millions of dollars. If the total world population of these patients is only a few hundred, how much do you need to charge to cover your developments costs (even if you assume $0 profit)?
jk4930 14y ago
In the beginning, using a plane was for the rich (jet set), using a mobile phone was for the rich, using the internet was expensive and for specialists, using a car was available only for few people as was using electric light and having a warm, comfortable home. Now it's the same with space tourism and gene therapy. So don't worry, just wait (or help making it cheaper).