After watching health care deteriorate into the business model, I thought it reasonable to investigate further into the 'investment' side of drugs.

My conclusion is I bought some stock in some small biotechs that are developing some big sellers....basically stuff in phase 3 trials that have a large unaddressed group of 'customers' which are called 'patients'.

I have been watching one particularly interesting disease 'awareness' campaign, which is directly tied to the impending release of a new biologic, first treatment in 50 years for this disease. Even the foundation is in on it.

None of this is based on altruism. Health care is now reimbursed on an 'outcome' based model....that doesn't bode well for an aging population or the chronically ill.....it is fine for investors.

Big business control our medical 'treatments'. We are basically a 'market'.

If I were faced with some forms of cancer, YES, I would try pretty much anything. What I have is degenerative, painful and crummy, but, I will likely not die from it, imminently. If I take some of these drugs, I will die quicker...Period. No one but ME is looking out for me...(except some of my friends on the forum who give me good information!).

I am not sure why doctors, who seem to be educated people are advocating this junk for us, and all I can figure is the pharms have managed to get this crud into our treatment protocols....hence, even on low dose prednisone, you MUST order a bisphosphonate, even if bone density is normal well into menopause.

I am not dissing researchers, many of whom I am sure care greatly for their work. It is just the thought of the investment angle and the pressure to produce a drug that will be marketable and bring profits to stockholders, well, call me skeptical. I think the downsides of these compounds are being overlooked in lieu of the enormous profits of pharma, marketing companies, and the whole large cog of the now for profit medical system. Let's face it....there is no way that huge profits can be made from taking care of the sick....for centuries only prophets and nuns used to do it.

Now the public is trained to feel satisfied with a physician when they get a pill to pop.

It is about money....and the FDA isn't doing its job as well as it should because of the enormous amount of money involved and the effect this would have on the economy.

I am off to watch the Bowl.....