AOC grills pharma exec about why the HIV-prevention drug Prep costs $8 in Australia costs $1,780 in the USA

boing
62

And both are far, far away from $1780.

4 Likes
63

The owner of a patent has the legal right to control access to the invention through licences and licence fees.

Since the US government owns the patent on this drug, it can choose to licence the drug in a way which enables the manufacturer to make a reasonable profit while ensuring the price to patients is low.

The Australian version costs $8 because the manufacturer isn’t paying a licence fee, but they are still making a profit.

1 Like
65

So what. Point still stands.

66

I would have loved to hear the pharma exec try to score points against AOC by bringing that up. “Not everyone in Australia can get the drug that costs Americans $1,780 for $8. Many of them pay $40!”

9 Likes
67

Well, yeah, that was my point: that whatever the exact sum Australians pay, it’s still far, far cheaper than what this company is selling the drug to Americans. :slight_smile:

4 Likes
68

Of course it does. I was just pointing out that it’s not exactly as she says for most people in Australia. She chose the outlier prices to strengthen her argument, as is evident in the video in regards to the cost in the US.

69

Canada’s healthcare doesn’t pay for drugs. Lots of employers have healthcare plans that pay for them, and there are government subsidies for some groups, but it’s basically the same as the US - if you don’t have health insurance you pay the cost of the drug out of your pocket.

2 Likes
70

Well, I guess we do need one person tasked with Ethics in Big Pharma journalism. You’ve got the job!

2 Likes
71

You do realise I actually support AOC comments, and that US patients are being ripped off continuously. However, playing loose with the facts ($8 instead of the more accurate $40 for most patients in Australia) just gives your opponents ammunition to chip away at your argument.
Or is it that we no longer care about accuracy as long as we can score a “zinger”?

72

How many Australians have a health card and pay the $8?

At any rate, anyone reasonable will see that the difference between $40 or $8 and $1,780 is well over $1,700 however you count it.

1 Like
73

Pretty much everyone on a government pension (disability, old age, single parent etc.) or other benefit (unemployment, sickness benefits, etc).

https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/subjects/concession-and-health-care-cards

2 Likes
74

This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.