Comments | polibock: Why Me?

lotuslion in polibock

Why Me?

Feb 06, 2007 12:22

Admin note: My sincerest apologies for sort of falling off the earth there for a while. Between grad school applications, the holidays, post-holiday crap, a kidney infection, and work, I didn't have much time to read the news, let alone be snarky about it. I'm still pretty terrifically busy, so I'm going to intensify my search for a co-blogger, ( Read more... )

big pharma, health issues

Comments 3

I dont have the answer, but I have an idea midtermmockery February 6 2007, 17:39:27 UTC

Though it's not the case in the United States (or at least with respect to the FDA), other countries' governments regulate the health care system, including the price of drug treatments. So if the company or companies registered their drugs in those countries, the government could put a cap on the price the treatments go for that the industry feels is too low.

By agreeing to sell to Doctors Without Borders and not to a country, directly, maybe this allows the pharmaceuticals leverage in setting the price.

Re: I dont have the answer, but I have an idea lotuslion February 6 2007, 17:43:46 UTC

Yes, this is true, and MSF can import drugs without going through all the hoops that pharma corps do...but they won't sell the drug to MSF to use in Thailand or Guatemala, only in Africa. Sooo they're effectively saying who gets the drug (and by extension, possibly live), based on some inscrutable reason. There's no rhyme or reason - they'll sell to MSF for use in one area, but not in another.

I quote again...I'm baffled by this idiocy. ;P

Re: I dont have the answer, but I have an idea midtermmockery February 6 2007, 17:48:28 UTC

That seems like a PR problem. If they start to give treatment or allow the drugs to be used in certain countries, then cut off the supply or refuse to sell outright, it looks more inhumane than never getting in the business in the first place. And it also shoots holes in their rationale for not getting into those markets to begin with. And it becomes a bigger, more negative story than it is right now, which is to say it's a relatively small story here and now in the U.S. that not enough people are hopped up about to make meaningful change.