NBC calls out Big Pharma
 

uh.......
 

I missed the ray of hope. Are you talking about the fact that it got some publicity? I try to talk myself into thinking of pharma as people too. But when I read something like this, only the word "evil" comes to mind.

Faceless, nameless cowards
 

[QUOTE=paula_w But when I read something like this, only the word "evil" comes to mind.[/QUOTE]

The word "evil" is the accurate description. Those who don't care about human health should get out of the human health business.

Here are some choice quotes from the article:

.... I thought, ‘Oh, my god, I’m going to go blind because of these jerks.'”…

In some regions, a 50-milligram dose of generic leucovorin costs 98 cents; a newer brand-name alternative called Fusilev costs $184.08. ….

“It’s money, pure and simple,” …

“To have some faceless, nameless coward running a pharmaceutical lab decide he wants a bigger BMW and isn’t going to make your drug — I feel helpless,” Dierker said. “That’s the really frustrating thing, not to be able to do anything about it.” ..

Faceless, nameless cowards - that's Pharma for starters. Add in the words "loathesome criminals" and the description is missing only the words "ethically dead reptilian predators" or simply "perps".

I'm sure grateful for the sinemet...think it is time to get an xray of my TMJ....our dependence on big pharma fuels their fire -what a vicious circle big sigh :eek:

your statement
 

"Those who don't care about human health should get out of the human health business."


That's a really good line. I'm going to remember that one and use it.

But,Bob.... how do you *really* feel? :D

Well Rick, My Current Blend (TM) starts at earthquakes which trigger volcanoes which are not extinguished by the tsunami. Is this Friday?

Good innnnnnnnnfo, but wonder . . . ???
 

paula - surely you've heard a similar quote in the education business, "Those who don't like kids should get out of the teaching business."

Bob and Rick - I agree that profit drives big pharma, but this statement in that article has me questioning its validity: "And companies aren’t required to inform the agency about impending shortages unless the drugs don't have an alternative."

I tend to think these shortages have to do with patents running out of time and the set-up for generics sales. Let's say Comtan, for example. It is about to run into its patent limits, because they hold 7 years patent time (I think that's right). So we might start seeing doctors more often prescribing the combination drug of Comtan and Sinemet, which is Stalevo. That means the Comtan company gets with Sinemet folks to say there's a shortage (but hopefully not in this case - just using it as an example, but who knows?)

Do you catch my drift? It's all about marketing and sales. I try to see through some of this pharma hype to know when it's for real or if it's marketing strategies..

Am I wrong, or just as clear as mud?
Peg

Sorry about those lazy fingers that stick to keys and make it appear that I am stuttering! You can't edit titles or subtitles!

Yes - my pharmacist explained to me that the drugs are manufactured every (he said 5 or so) several years - also that drugs are now distributed globally. Sometimes there are raw material shortages.

md

Pharma - psychotic self interest
 

general comment from Geoffrey James at the Sales Machine:

http://www.bnet.com/blog/salesmachin...obs/12481?pg=4

"The Supreme Court has repeatedly reaffirmed that right of corporations to be treated legally as individuals. However, if corporations really are individuals, they’re also sociopaths. Just as a sociopath will pretend to be nice in order to get what he wants, a corporation will pretend to be ethical, as long as it serves the needs of the stockholders. The only reason that most corporations don’t launch profitable ventures that end up killing children is that it might result in bad publicity. Period. Because corporations are always guided by a supreme sense of near-psychotic self-interest, there’s no need to pay somebody big bucks to publicly pretend otherwise...."