Big Pharma pushes for U.S. action against India over patent worries

From Reuters: www.reuters.com...

Feb 6 (Reuters) - Global pharmaceutical firms are pressuring the United States to act against India to stop more local companies producing up to a dozen new varieties of cheap generic drugs still on-patent, sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

An Indian government committee is reviewing patented drugs of foreign firms to see if so-called compulsory licences, which in effect break exclusivity rights, can be issued for some of them to bring down costs, two senior government officials told Reuters.

The drugs that are part of the review process are used for treating cancer, diabetes, hepatitis and HIV, said the sources, declining to give details. No timeline has been given for completion of the review process.

This topic has been debated a lot lately on here. Some of us believe in a Socialist from of healthcare where this would not be an issue and the state/government would be in control of healthcare and drugs. Other believe the Capitalist approach is better because it gives Big Pharma incentive to make new and better medicine with the ultimate goal is making a profit.

I personally think a Socialism type of healthcare is better because in the capitalism approach results in profits being more important than the patient and I believe that is an unethical practice. There are new drugs that could possibly help those with cancer, diabetes, hepatitis, and HIV but many of those patients can not afford the new drugs because they are too expensive and will likely suffer more and/or die because they have to rely on older cheaper treatments.

Yes drugs are expensive and Pharma needs to make money and cover there bills.

But as soon as one group is excluded or priced out of life saving treatment, theft and patent fraud is going to happen. Thats just life.


Try explaining to sick or dieing people in the third world why they need to denied drugs so that patent laws are obeyed and Pharma can cover the R&D costs so they can make more drugs for rich westerners. Think they will understand and go home and die quietly knowing there sacrifice will help us in the west live longer and maybe someday their children may prehapes get the drug? Or do you think they will fight back?

When its life and death I doubt people care about patent laws and high R&D costs. They just want to live.

Its human nature.

With me being an American and frustrated about the health care system I understand that R&D plus FDA fees are enormous. When it comes to developing new weapons, companies are usually given government grants for the R&D. This could work in medicine too and it would help offset the outrageous price of new medicine.

jrod
With me being an American and frustrated about the health care system I understand that R&D plus FDA fees are enormous. When it comes to developing new weapons, companies are usually given government grants for the R&D. This could work in medicine too and it would help offset the outrageous price of new medicine.

Tax money being used to save people not kill people? I dont understand the concept



/Joke

Best way to stop this problem may be a relaxing of legal regs that makes drug research a lot cheaper.

wouldnt help if the monkey in suites at the top lowered there yearly bonus expectations. Not like they do anything anyway except drain money while paying golf. Its the lab rats like me that do the real work, the lawyers that make it legal and marketing that sells it. Dont see what the use of a high paying CEO or board of directors is, even when they deem to vist and come down the labs they dont even have a clue whats going on.

Medicine should not be expensive. Most of the medicines are derived from nature. Medicine should not drive people into debt or make their lives miserable. What we have here is a medical industry, not an industry to help people who are sick. I think that this is all trickery, tricking people into not consuming something then selling them the medicine to treat the problem that it causes because it is not consumed. Adding chemistry to foods can also make us need medicines. Seems that the same people making additives and treatments for agriculture and food preservation should in no way be allowed to create medicines to treat diseases.

The Pharma companies are doing this for profit, not to help the people. Medical research for researching cancer is done mostly to get money for their people working. Do you see these researchers working on this stuff for free? Sure, donate money to cancer research so the people doing research can make money. None of them would probably be working there if they did not get paid.

I guess I am a little grumpy today.

reply to post by jrod


Totally agree with your points raised, perhaps agencies like the WHO should take over producing and researching medication and all the countries contribute a % of their GDP for this.

So are we going to invade them like we did Afghanistan? That's what we did when the Taliban cut off the opium. Here in the states we have a war against drugs over there we fight for drugs.

Since i work in the drug manufacturing field. I can put in some input of what happened to my company recently.

Our company let go off 150 chemist because they outsourced the jobs to India, where 1 chemist pay can be given to 5 chemist there.

But they are getting smarter, because these countries rely on countries like China and India to make profit, the Indians and Chinese etc are doing everything they can to milk money out.

I say good for both of them!

Here's the problem. Big Pharma done via capitalism is all about profit. You don't get better drugs for patients you get better drugs for a bigger profit.

Big Pharma doesn't do cures, it does treatments for money.

I have a question, and I'm sincere in asking. I don't have a clue what the answer is.
Where do most of the breakthroughs in medicine come from? Is it big pharma profit machines? Or do we get the same results in a socialized healthcare country such as Canada? I've never really looked into it..

Hoosierdaddy71
I have a question, and I'm sincere in asking. I don't have a clue what the answer is.
Where do most of the breakthroughs in medicine come from? Is it big pharma profit machines? Or do we get the same results in a socialized healthcare country such as Canada? I've never really looked into it..

The vast majority come from private sector.

Long story short, the pharmaceutical world is heavily dominated by the US, which, contrary to what many here will state, has one of the lowest percentages of government subsidized R&D.

The nearest "socialist" competitors would really be Switzerland, Sweden, and UK, but in truth, only Switzerland could really be considered "socialist" in this regard, as they are the only ones that over 50% of the R&D (gives possibility to state ownership). With Sweden and UK around 44% and 35%, respectively.

reply to post by jrod


India ( and others ) could , with consequences , issue a writ of Eminent Domain ( I think it's called ' compulsory purchase ' in India ) . It's common in the world , and used to be a Royal ( or other ) decree. Called 'resumption ' in Hong Kong ).

This might make an ' emerging market ' like India pay a price ( in terms of 'International trust ) - but , maybe it would be worth it for them. Nonetheless , there is plenty of precedent...

Pharma will win, however... because if the Indians won't do what Pharma wants , then it's likely that General Motors, IBM, 3M and others will ' ruffle their feathers ' and suggest that India isn't a good place to do business.

I can't wait for some new tech. to make these Pharma people ( and their way of thinking ) obsolete. But , the 'rub' is : who will own that tech ?

I'm truly sorry that the poor always lose.

jrod

I personally think a Socialism type of healthcare is better because in the capitalism approach results in profits being more important than the patient and I believe that is an unethical practice. There are new drugs that could possibly help those with cancer, diabetes, hepatitis, and HIV but many of those patients can not afford the new drugs because they are too expensive and will likely suffer more and/or die because they have to rely on older cheaper treatments.

edit on 6-2-2014 by jrod because:

I don't think you folks understand socialism. Look at Canada and France. They have socialist health care and the people are suffering. It wouldn't work here for those same reasons. Socialism Does NOT work. never did - never will. It's not the idea of socialism that's the problem, it's the current socialist structure that's the problem.

Capitalism likewise is no good because it, like socialism has a failed structure. Capitalism is based in democracy which is a scheme the Founding Fathers hated to the core. It has no checks and balances to ensure everyone has a level playing field. Like in a democracy the large companies can be on top controlling the flow of information and resources to those less fortunate - couple that with being in bed with our corrupt US Government and it gets way worse for the people trying to get ahead through capitalism.

I think the solution lies in a new approach altogether. We don't have that now, so we are doomed.

So India is making patented medicines on purpose because they need to keep the cost down to treat their people. Bravo India !!

Big Pharma should NOT be in the medicine business at all - thats to the discredit of our government and messed up capitalistic ideas. For Big pharma to stop India, is Criminal because they only care about money - not human lives - they do not for all the dirty money they have, Count The Cost - the real cost, the cost of human life and suffering they created by withholding the medicines that could save a person - and for what.. something as worthless as US money.. it disgusts me. Government should By The People be incontrol of medicines so the price can stay cheap and the medicine available - caring people who get it - those are the only folks that should be allowed to produce medicine and not for profit !

I hope most people are too smart to fall for this and Big Pharma gets nowhere. This would be the best outcome for all concerned.

reply to post by JohnPhoenix

I don't think you folks understand socialism. Look at Canada and France. They have socialist health care and the people are suffering. It wouldn't work here for those same reasons. Socialism Does NOT work. never did - never will. It's not the idea of socialism that's the problem, it's the current socialist structure that's the problem.

You are so wrong socialism does work in fact the nations with the happiest people are socialist not to mention their economies are doing better than America. And the their people is suffering is a laugh their citizens live longer and the infant mortality rate is lower not to mention prescriptions are cheaper as well. Even Cuba's healthcare system gives Americas system a run for it's money.

reply to post by JohnPhoenix

I don't think you folks understand socialism. Look at Canada and France. They have socialist health care and the people are suffering. It wouldn't work here for those same reasons. Socialism Does NOT work. never did - never will. It's not the idea of socialism that's the problem, it's the current socialist structure that's the problem.

How are we suffering? That should be explained ....

Hoosierdaddy71
I have a question, and I'm sincere in asking. I don't have a clue what the answer is.
Where do most of the breakthroughs in medicine come from? Is it big pharma profit machines? Or do we get the same results in a socialized healthcare country such as Canada? I've never really looked into it..

Pharma itself is privatised here in the UK. NHS only covers the application of medical care not the creation.

So all pharma is still in the private sector. Though the companys I have worked for can use the NHS for certain things to cut costs down.

reply to post by jrod


Ahhh lookie at this.
Big Pharma that have bought and paid for politicians are asking Big Government to come to their rescue. I guess gubmint is the solution when you have the $$$$ backing it.

I know of a lot of people that have trouble getting the right medicines and or treatment they need in both countries under socialism. It may not be your experience. My point was neither one, socialism nor capitalism is perfect and medicine shouldn't be controlled by either faction. We could have better options.

Well they arent white, lets bomb them..

If you think this is a racist post.. Pay attn to your history of this country.. Every country we invade since WW II has been non white.