Republican Administration Maintains Exclusivity Stance in GLP-1 (Tirzepatide) Compounding Dispute

[keangkong]

I typed up an entire response to these, but then realized I don't want to spark the conversation that makes Bee shut this down.

So: True, and true. I'm being idealistic.

I was actually quite surprised with that title that people stayed away from the overly political stuff. That's good in that I believe politics has become so divisive that folks who'd otherwise get along start disliking each other as soon as the subject turns to politics. That would be bad for our forum.

 

[chmuse]

I was actually quite surprised with that title that people stayed away from the overly political stuff. That's good in that I believe politics has become so divisive that folks who'd otherwise get along start disliking each other as soon as the subject turns to politics. That would be bad for our forum.

Yes, I think we've been shut down enough times recently that those of us who are super political know better. At least on my end, I'm tired. I'll leave my political debating to other platforms.

 

[keangkong]

I gave my solution: the US pressures the drug companies to lower the price but says that anyone who really needs the drug (Ilet some experts figure that one out) will have it covered by their health insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid.

Eventually, generics will come out.

 

[hexagonal]

My solution remains that drug research should be funded globally by governments and that it is "open-source."

Curing disease is fundamentally a matter of public health. Public health is entirely within the scope of concern for government. Profit being a motive inherently puts tension between that goal and the goal of saving as many people as possible as cheaply as possible.

 

[exploitedworkerbee]

I gave my solution: the US pressures the drug companies to lower the price but says that anyone who really needs the drug (Ilet some experts figure that one out) will have it covered by their health insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid.

Eventually, generics will come out.

Letting Medicare negotiate drug prices would probably go a long way toward achieving this. It’s a testament to the power of lobbyists and the influence of money in politics that it is prohibited for just about all meds save for 10 that were specially selected not to piss off pharma too much.

 

[hotdog!]

I know it says more, but all I see is another example of the US subsidizing other parts of the world.

Yes, the rich at Big Pharma charge the plebes in the low-to-middle class exorbitant amounts for a life-changing drug so they can get richer. Other countries won't stand for that BS so won't pay the extortion prices that our government allows in the name of capitalism. The magnitude of the greed is just disgusting. I hope they choke on their profits.

 

[Biglemon]

To side with the contrarian study aforementioned, if firms can’t charge whatever they want to cover their costs and satisfy investors, then Eli and Pfizer drugs like this won’t come to the market too often, or soon enough to matter for those who need them.

Moderna is another relevant example: one-trick covid vaccine pony who’ll fade into obscurity unless they hit again with life-changing product. Only difference is that governments paid for their products not patients.

https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/new-pancreatic-cancer-mutation-treatment-7b066368

 

[AndyPanda]

To side with the contrarian study aforementioned, if firms can’t charge whatever they want to cover their costs and satisfy investors, then Eli and Pfizer drugs like this won’t come to the market too often, or soon enough to matter for those who need them.

Moderna is another relevant example: one-trick covid vaccine pony who’ll fade into obscurity unless they hit again with life-changing product. Only difference is that governments paid for their products not patients.

https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/new-pancreatic-cancer-mutation-treatment-7b066368

Government (tax payers) paid for that COVID vaccine research too.

 

[Biglemon]

Government (tax payers) paid for that COVID vaccine research too.

Correct, and I don’t see govt paying for GLP-1 drugs which is why we won’t see widespread affordability until tirz goes generic in 2036.

 

[AndyPanda]

Correct, and I don’t see govt paying for GLP-1 drugs which is why we won’t see widespread affordability until tirz goes generic in 2036.

They received money from NIH. Don’t let them fool you. Personally, I don’t want the government funding any pharmaceutical companies. They make enough of their own money.

 

[hexagonal]

To side with the contrarian study aforementioned, if firms can’t charge whatever they want to cover their costs and satisfy investors, then Eli and Pfizer drugs like this won’t come to the market too often, or soon enough to matter for those who need them.

Moderna is another relevant example: one-trick covid vaccine pony who’ll fade into obscurity unless they hit again with life-changing product. Only difference is that governments paid for their products not patients.

https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/new-pancreatic-cancer-mutation-treatment-7b066368

Which just highlights that the current system is broken. Saving human lives is restricted by the ability for shareholders to profit.

 

[Windingroads06]

Anyone else having trouble keeping their mouth shut? I am. I think it was Shakespeare who said something like “Discretion is the greater part of valor”

"Less is More"

 

[Windingroads06]

Which is frustrating because all the drug companies receive government money for research.

YES!!! THIS!!!

The pharmaceutical companies get $$$ Government sponsored grants to explore the feasibility of certain drug in the hope it will reduce government health care costs.

 

[Morbius]

1. Donate to cancer research.

2. Cancer is cured!

3. You get cancer.

4. You cannot afford the cure.

The system works!!1

 

[exploitedworkerbee]

If someone would run on actual solutions to healthcare and housing crises I will vote for them regardless of party affiliation, and I imagine lots of others would as well. I won’t care about their positions on any culture war issue at all.

 

[keangkong]

If someone would run on actual solutions to healthcare and housing crises I will vote for them regardless of party affiliation, and I imagine lots of others would as well. I won’t care about their positions on any culture war issue at all.

You expect our politicians to provide actual solutions? Have you been smoking crack?

 

[exploitedworkerbee]

You expect our politicians to provide actual solutions? Have you been smoking crack?

I thought it was impossible for this thread not to devolve into partisan bickering and yet here we are. Life is full of surprises.

 

[RestingGhostFace]

My solution remains that drug research should be funded globally by governments and that it is "open-source."

Curing disease is fundamentally a matter of public health. Public health is entirely within the scope of concern for government. Profit being a motive inherently puts tension between that goal and the goal of saving as many people as possible as cheaply as possible.

Agreed!

 

[keangkong]

My solution remains that drug research should be funded globally by governments and that it is "open-source."

Curing disease is fundamentally a matter of public health. Public health is entirely within the scope of concern for government. Profit being a motive inherently puts tension between that goal and the goal of saving as many people as possible as cheaply as possible.

Except what you described doesn't work. There is nothing right now prohibiting governments from funding that research and making it open source. Yet governments don't want to spend much on researching these drugs. When they do, the lack of profits helps guarantee that the money will be spent inefficiently. As is often the case, the cost of not allowing people to make a profit is far greater than the cost of permitting profit.

 

[hexagonal]

Except what you described doesn't work. There is nothing right now prohibiting governments from funding that research and making it open source. Yet governments don't want to spend much on researching these drugs. When they do, the lack of profits helps guarantee that the money will be spent inefficiently. As is often the case, the cost of not allowing people to make a profit is far greater than the cost of permitting profit.

We've had a global (or near-global) agreement to socialize pharmaceutical research and it didn't work?

TIL!