BIG Pharma says it out aloud!

[Soms]

'We didn't make this medicine for Indians… we made it for western patients who can afford it': Pharmaceutical chief tries to stop India replicating its cancer treatment

The CEO of phamaceutical giant Bayer has sparked fury after announcing one of the firm's drugs was for 'western patients who can afford it'.

Marijn Dekkers made the inflammatory comments after the Indian company Natco Pharma Ltd. were granted a government licence to produce a copy of Bayer’s cancer drug Nexavar which they will sell for 97 per cent less than the original product.

Under Indian law the government grants compulsory licenses to domestic firms to produce copies of drugs if the original isn’t available locally at a reasonable price, regardless of whether they are under patent.

Mr Deekers, who has previously described India's patent laws as 'essentially theft', said: 'We did not develop this medicine for Indians. We developed it for western patients who can afford it.'

Nexavar, which is also known as Sorafenib, has been approved for the treatment of kidney cancer, advanced liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma), and thyroid cancers that are resistant to radioactive iodine treatment.

Currently a kidney cancer patient would pay $96,000 (£58,000) for a year's course of the Bayer-made drug. However the cost of the Natco version would be around $2,800 (£1,700).

Mr Deekers later posted a comment on a Forbes magazine blog claiming he regretted the way the comment was received.

He wrote: 'I regret that what was a quick response from me within the framework of a panel discussion at the recent FT Pharma conference has come across in a different way as it was meant by myself.

'However, I was particularly frustrated by the Indian government’s decision, to not protect a patent on Nexavar that was given to us by the Indian patent authority.

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Nexavar: Currently a kidney cancer patient would pay (£58,00 for a year's course of the Bayer-made drug. However the cost of the Natco version would be around £1,700



'I remain firm that there is no excuse for any country to weaken the intellectual property rights. Without new medicines people in developing countries – as well as those in the more prosperous countries – ultimately will all suffer.'

Dr Manica Balasegaram, the Executive Director, Médecins Sans Frontières Access Campaign, which is trying to increase the availability of cancer drugs in developing countries said Mr Dekker's comments summed up 'everything that is wrong with the multinational pharmaceutical industry.'

She added: 'Bayer is effectively admitting that the drugs they develop are deliberately going to be rationed to the wealthiest patients. This is a side-effect of the way drugs are developed today.

'Pharmaceutical companies are singularly focused on profit and so aggressively push for patents and high drug prices. Diseases that don’t promise a profit are neglected, and patients who can’t afford to pay are cut out of the picture.

'Drug companies claim to care about global health needs, but their track record says otherwise.'

However other commentators have pointed out that drug companies need to be able to charge high prices in order to continue the vital research and development.



Read more: Pharmaceutical chief tries to stop India replicating its cancer treatment | Mail Online

 

[Hyde]

You can say anything to Indians but I have a huge respect for Indian doctors and Pharmaceutical industry of India. They are doing a great job not only in India but lending their support to Pakistan and all of its neighbouring countries too.

Keep copying the expensive medicines and sell them cheap. Don't worry what other bastards say if it only means business to them.

 

[Chronos]

You can say anything to Indians but I have a huge respect for Indian doctors and Pharmaceutical industry of India. They are doing a great job not only in India but lending their support to Pakistan and all of its neighbouring countries too.

Keep copying the expensive medicines and sell them cheap. Don't worry what other bastards say if it only means business to them.

Well what about Private pharmaceuticals who put capital to make medicines? How will they get back their money?

 

[Indischer]

You can say anything to Indians but I have a huge respect for Indian doctors and Pharmaceutical industry of India. They are doing a great job not only in India but lending their support to Pakistan and all of its neighbouring countries too.

Keep copying the expensive medicines and sell them cheap. Don't worry what other bastards say if it only means business to them.

But it is indeed a grey area for the Pharma multinationals. Time now is such that merely accepting that one is in the business for profit is seen as villianous and distasteful. The Pharma companies also install cutting edge equipment and infrastructure, recruit some of the best Scientists and Engineers, and produce medicines that really make a huge positive difference in saving countless lives.

Compare this with the profits that companies like Apple and Phillip Morris make! Does the World really benefit from upgrading to an iphone 5 from iphone 4? Should the cigarette companies be allowed to advertise their products at all, let alone making huge profits out of them?

As long as Pharma majors have a genuine case of their patents breached by some Nation, I will support their stance.

However, there is also a technique that some Companies do to milk their inventions to the hilt. Just as the patent period of a proprietary drug is about to end, the companies develop another derivative of the formulation, and declare the old drug formula as obsolete/ineffective against new cases, and hope to secure an extension of the patent period. India usually picks such formulae and mass-produces them, and consequently refuses to pay Royalty on the derived formulations. I feel India's stance is right on such cases.

 

[Chronos]

But it is indeed a grey area for the Pharma multinationals. Time now is such that merely accepting that one is in the business for profit is seen as villianous and distasteful. The Pharma companies also install cutting edge equipment and infrastructure, recruit some of the best Scientists and Engineers, and produce medicines that really make a huge positive difference in saving countless lives.

Compare this with the profits that companies like Apple and Phillip Morris make! Does the World really benefit from upgrading to an iphone 5 from iphone 4? Should the cigarette companies be allowed to advertise their products at all, let alone making huge profits out of them?

As long as Pharma majors have a genuine case of their patents breached by some Nation, I will support their stance.

However, there is also a technique that some Companies do to milk their inventions to the hilt. Just as the patent period of a proprietary drug is about to end, the companies develop another derivative of the formulation, and declare the old drug formula as obsolete/ineffective against new cases, and hope to secure an extension of the patent period. India usually picks such formulae and mass-produces them, and consequently refuses to pay Royalty on the derived formulations. I feel India's stance is right on such cases.

Spot on!

 

[Shabaz Sharif]

Well what about Private pharmaceuticals who put capital to make medicines? How will they get back their money?

Exactly!!!!!

Desi people forget copying someome else product is easy but investing and creating them need huge amount of money and good scientists which unfortunatly most of them run away from South Asia in to west and work for likes of bayer.

You can say anything to Indians but I have a huge respect for Indian doctors and Pharmaceutical industry of India. They are doing a great job not only in India but lending their support to Pakistan and all of its neighbouring countries too.

Keep copying the expensive medicines and sell them cheap. Don't worry what other bastards say if it only means business to them.

How is India leading support to Pakistan? Any exemple?

Anyway looking at drug price i doubt majority in west can afford it. Funny thing is now westeners will buy this Indian medicine instead of paying 1 lakh $ a year. At least those who otherwise will not have any option. While rich people will continue to buh from bayer.

 

[typoerror]

Well what about Private pharmaceuticals who put capital to make medicines? How will they get back their money?

you are one sucker troll for the west arent you? think like a human being for once.

Good job India. Drive Big Pharma to the ground. And continue the greta research too. In a decade we will be filing more new patents that all of western Pharma together. Lets see them who is crying hoarse.

 

[Star Wars]

I keep telling..they don't give a shit about curing cancer world wide..they wont do it..and they will never do it..its a multi billion$ industry

 

[airuah]

If the drug was not made for Indians why cry when Indians produce it for Indians...Bayer can market the drug in countries that can afford then and prevent the indian drug in their markets.

 

[Star Wars]

These are the same people that knowingly sold HIV infected drugs to poor countries to clear out bad stock, after about 10,000 people in the US got infected with HIV and they were forced to stop selling it there.

 

[dontsuspendme]

Bravo india...

 

[livingdead]

You can say anything to Indians but I have a huge respect for Indian doctors and Pharmaceutical industry of India. They are doing a great job not only in India but lending their support to Pakistan and all of its neighbouring countries too.

Keep copying the expensive medicines and sell them cheap. Don't worry what other bastards say if it only means business to them.

you see no moral dilemma in this?
Copying somebody elses's IP can mean less investment in drug discovery. Drugs are like movies, one superhit drug is supposed to recoup investment made in all other failed products.
If you copy that, no new drug will come to market.

On other hand as a country our govt has responsibility to our poor people, to give them medicine at affordable price.
One way would be to subsidise the price of expensive drugs( the moral thing to do).

 

[typoerror]

you see no moral dilemma in this?
Copying somebody elses's IP can mean less investment in drug discovery. Drugs are like movies, one superhit drug is supposed to recoup investment made in all other failed products.
If you copy that, no new drug will come to market.

On other hand as a country our govt has responsibility to our poor people, to give them medicine at affordable price.
One way would be to subsidise the price of expensive drugs( the moral thing to do).

A hundred thousand dollars for a cancer course for a year for one person. Extremely moral an act it would be because that subsidy bill would be about exactly equal to our current annual gdp to treat just the 2 million cancer patients in india.

 

[livingdead]

A hundred thousand dollars for a cancer course for a year for one person. Extremely moral an act it would be because that subsidy bill would be about exactly equal to our current annual gdp to treat just the 2 million cancer patients in india.

its like saying I cant afford to buy so its okey to free download pirated copy. Its stealing anyway.

 

[Star Wars]

you see no moral dilemma in this?
Copying somebody elses's IP can mean less investment in drug discovery. Drugs are like movies, one superhit drug is supposed to recoup investment made in all other failed products.
If you copy that, no new drug will come to market.

On other hand as a country our govt has responsibility to our poor people, to give them medicine at affordable price.
One way would be to subsidise the price of expensive drugs( the moral thing to do).

The fact that the drug is being produced at 3% of the cost proves that they are profit oriented
and check post no. 10 ...we do not in anyway need investment from such retarded companies...we have enough of our own drug companies