New Alzheimer's drug

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I came across a Talk to Al Jazeera piece on this drug, and it was very interesting to have the reality of it pointed out by an expert from the industry. It is a very expensive drug, $25k per infusion, without taking the clinic costs into account, and it comes with regular mri and testing costs to monitor for known sidefects which include brain swelling...

According to him many companies are working in this area, many are at testing stage, and in his opinion this one has hit the market a little early - and he blames media for the premature celebrations.

Media. Once again?

[Lilith7]

I came across a Talk to Al Jazeera piece on this drug, and it was very interesting to have the reality of it pointed out by an expert from the industry. It is a very expensive drug, $25k per infusion, without taking the clinic costs into account, and it comes with regular mri and testing costs to monitor for known sidefects which include brain swelling...

According to him many companies are working in this area, many are at testing stage, and in his opinion this one has hit the market a little early - and he blames media for the premature celebrations.

Media. Once again?

Hmm..so 'very expensive' translates as for wealthy people only, if it becomes available soon with all kinks ironed out.

It does sound premature, & really since such a drug would benefit not just those suffering but would also mean fewer staff were needed in this area & it wouldn't have such far reaching effects on family & the wider community, then such a drug should surely be legally made to be available at a far more affordable price so that it genuinely can benefit many rather than a few.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

But then, would the pharma labs and teams of scientists pursue these drug developments, if there was no profit in it? I am sure they do it for the good it does, but no one can eat satisfaction, let alone buy high social standing with it.

[Lilith7]

But then, would the pharma labs and teams of scientists pursue these drug developments, if there was no profit in it? I am sure they do it for the good it does, but no one can eat satisfaction, let alone buy high social standing with it.

If they don't develop drugs if there's no money in it then little or no progress will be made. Jobs in developing new cures would end & they'd be out of work. 

I think in this situation, where what they're working on will benefit all of mankind, the drug companies need to be required to provide the drug/treatment at a reasonable & very affordable cost. It would gain them goodwill from customers &  well, everyone really. Let them put a reasonable markup on other products; if people in the form of drug companies can't manage to exercise a bit of decency & some empathy for their fellow humans then govts must make them do so.


Bloody hell - she was right!

"Gloria Steinem: 'Women get more radical with age, men get more conservative'"

[king1]

all new drugs usually have a patent period on them during which the manufacturer can recover their development costs and presumably profit from it, before the generics take over...

perhaps they need a better system for funding the R&D - maybe a requirement on generics manufacturers to pay royalties to the original developer/manufacturer - might be hard to enforce in some jurisdictions though