So, why only $44,000? Why not $1,000,000?
…special place in hell for the people who made that decision, AND for everyone who profited from it, I imagine.
See…the free market works.
The patient still gets crucial medication he needs. The Big Pharm company suddenly scarfs up enormous new profits without having to develop anything new. And the exponential money explosion is absorbed by the magic of health insurance. Stockholders gain wealth, CEOs pick up their well-deserved lavish bonuses…
And that’s that.
We human beings and economic citizens never have to be concerned with all that financial rigarmarole buried in the miasma called “healthcare.” Doesn’t affect us…right?
That’s why 'Murica is already great again.
Oh, man. I hope the ratfucker of a CEO’s name turns up in the Panama Papers.
How the living fuck can this be allowed to continue??
Is there any record of anyone dying as a result of these prices?
Seriously someone needs to shoot these people in their wealthy faces.
Rules of Neoliberalism:
- Because markets
- Go die!
I think Dexter targeted the wrong serial killers.
Is this a problem that could only happen in America or could it happen anywhere? America normally leads the way with these sorts of antics but when it comes to profit the rest of the world follows closely behind.
And who cares if the guy has to pay an extra $1,500 per month? If he wasn’t so lazy, he could have worked harder before he retired, and he’d be rich enough to afford whatever pills he wanted. I mean, look at Donald Trump - he started with nothing, and…
We’re sorry. You have reached your limit of irony for the day. Please wait another 18 hours before posting anything else sarcastic.
Don’t be ridiculous. How could anyone afford $1m?
Valeant, sadly, is a Canadian company. This could also happen here - not quite as easily, but it’s as easy as the federal government deciding a drug shouldn’t be covered. Generally, anything life saving is covered but of course that means that we all pay for these shenanigans.
Reprehensible behavior by another drug company. Perhaps if people would avoid purchasing their overpriced products, they would be forced to be more competitive in the U.S. For example, this drug, Cuprimine, is available in generic from Canadian pharmacies for about USD90/100 tablets.
Welcome to the future, where drugs are priced according to how badly you want to live. We owe our thanks to Martin Shkreli for showing us this brave new world.
$400 bucks is crazy, $40K is crazier!
In this specific case the problem can probably be solved. The sole active ingredient in Cuprimine is penicillamine. The drug Depen (different manufacturer) has the same sole active ingredient so a chat with the pharmacist (CVS seem to stock Depen) would probably allow the patient to dump Valeant. The dosing might have to be addressed but the Depen tablets look like they are design to break into two so there is probably a work around.
The more general issue is that generic drug prices should be subject to supply and demand. The problem is that monopolies spring up as it can take years to get approval from the FDA to manufacture a generic. The FDA have very recently started giving priority to cases where there is an unintentional monopoly but it is still slow going - if you are outraged by the above, talk to your representatives in Washington about giving more resources to the FDA’s approval process.
I hate hate hate the contention that because “free” markets give you an answer, it is the “right” answer. Free markets are a useful tool to aggregate the choices of individuals into guidance for the production levels of products. They are NOT a basis for a system of morality.
And free is in quotes because to a real degree copyrights, patents, and regulatory approvals are constraints that make the market for products less free. I’m not getting all libertarian and saying that we shouldn’t have those limitations. However, to say that the “feedom” of the market should only start AFTER one has used all legal means to create huge barriers to entry in a market is bare, naked rent-seeking.
You know, competition might work, if it were legal. But importing drugs from places where they have reasonable prices is currently illegal.
“Because Fuck you, pay me, I’m Martin Shkreli, that’s why”
One can only hope that this dirt bag buys a Wu Tang Clan album and then commits securities fraud.
