Re: GREED Drives Pharma

From: GMCarter (fiar_at_verizon.net)
Date: 06/29/04 

Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 11:09:28 GMT

On Mon, 28 Jun 2004 20:00:29 -0700, "Robert" <Robert@hotmail.com>
wrote:

snip...
>> But the CDC signed away to Chiron most of the commercial control of
>> the virus for a little more than $2.2 million in 1990.

>Government gave away patent rights to a company in order for them to make
>money. That is the role of government. Sometimes it gets in the way of the
>indivdual interests but business is good for the government and the
>individual. Trickle down economics.

Please explain where it says in the Constitution that the role of
government is to give away publicly funded research to a corporation
to that "individual" can DOUBLE screw the American people? First on
the cost (much lower) of public research, then the cost of
outrageously overpriced drugs?

>> "There have been a number of individuals in the scientific community
>> that are involved in the prevention, treatment and research of
>> hepatitis C that have said the agreement is having an impact on the
>> scientists' ability to address hepatitis C," said CDC spokesman Tom
>> Skinner. "We are looking into whether or not the agreement we have in
>> place with Chiron is having an impact and, if so, what kind of
>> impact."
>Ok give those individuals who work in private companies a waiver from the
>patent and them they can come up with something new and they can apply their
>own patent and they can make money off it. All a patent does is grant the
>money making rubber stamp of approval. You have to pay to use it.
>The question is would they still want to continue on their research if they
>are not allowed to apply for a patent on anything they develop?

Eliminating patents is ONE way to go. (Your thinking is very
binary...there are more nuanced approaches.) Eliminating patents might
actually be a very good idea for public health! It certainly need not
eilminate research, by any means. But there are other options, such as
patent reform that could pare down the excesses and provide greater
opportunities for the individuals who make the discovery rather than
the corporate entity.

                George M. Carter

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