Reply #2: Ethical? Orphan drugs. HIV patients vs. hi priced drugs in Brazil and MS [View All]

[oscar111]

In mississippi, i read last year that a few dozen poor folks with HIV and who were currently getting the life sustaining drugs for it,

would no longer get them as the budget was getting cut.
Lower pill prices to begin with, would let the pills fit into even a smaller state budget.
{ok, two villans in this example}

Saw no followup on it.

In brazil, the gov just announced if Big Pill did not lower HIV pill prices, brazil would ignore the patent and make the pills themselves. Same situation in Africa, with many never seeing HIV pills due to the price.

Orphan drugs.. too few patients to make the known cures, and still profit.

Big Pill profit rate 17%. Fortune 500 average, 3%. So BP is not straining to get enough profit to do its research, as is the excuse offered for hi prices in the USA while nations limit prices overseas. As is done in Canada. {data from former editor of NEJM, in her new book. think her name is Snow, not sure.}

Contrary studies suppresed by BP.

the list goes on and on.

Ethical? LOL.
=====================
The concept

SOCIAL COST

is important in this whole issue.
BP cannot absorb social cost concerns in its cash bottom line.
Nationalized pill factories could.
Try Demopedia or Wikipedia for a definition. Might have it.