Developed cancer drug for 'western patients' who could afford, not 'for Indians': Bayer's CEO

[Vinod2070]

Anyone who thinks that the drug prices (or any prices) work on the basis of cost, they don't know what they are talking about.

 

[Developereo]

Agreed that's why ever Country ( Including India ) gives them 20 years worth of free run . After thats its an open market .

20 years is the typical lifetime of a patent. After that, there are no barriers to copying. I agree that evergreening is wrong.

 

[Vinod2070]

Agreed that's why ever Country ( Including India ) gives them 20 years worth of free run . After thats its an open market .

As already mentioned earlier in this thread, the companies indulge in evergreening and they have the politicians in their pocket.

So millions of poor people must die so that some of these greedy corporates can make their super profits.

PS: There are people in USA itself who can see that they have much poorer outcomes than many other countries that spend much less on heath care on a per capita basis and have far more superior outcomes.

And USA is the biggest laboratory for these pharma companies predatory pricing.

Its not as if I am against the pharma companies but against the specific practices that are being allowed by the Western governments in violation of all ethical norms.

Even in India, many doctors recommend specific (and much costlier) drugs when far cheaper alternatives exist. Experiments in some states to provide healthcare using generics has produced great results.

 

[Cherokee]

As already mentioned earlier in this thread, the companies indulge in evergreening and they have the politicians in their pocket.

So millions of poor people must die so that some of these greedy corporates can make their super profits.

He made it clear he does not support evergreening . We are arguing on a moot point .

 

[Vinod2070]

He made it clear he does not support evergreening . We are arguing on a moot point .

It is not about any individual.

Even a 20 year exclusive patent that makes it impossible for poor people to use the medicines is wrong in my opinion. There have to be mechanisms in place to make life saving drugs accessible to poorer people at lower rates.

 

[egodoc222]

He made it clear he does not support evergreening . We are arguing on a moot point .

20 years itself is absurd!
at max 5 yrs is enough...
problem is they dont want poor countries to be part of the market....

 

[Cherokee]

It is not about any individual.

Even a 20 year exclusive patent that makes it impossible for poor people to use the medicines is wrong in my opinion. There have to be mechanisms in place to make life saving drugs accessible to poorer people at lower rates.

Govt should pay for it . These Companies are making inventions not Indian govt.

20 years itself is absurd!
at max 5 yrs is enough...
problem is they dont want poor countries to be part of the market....

You are wrong . 20 yeas is important . For each sucessful drug thousands fail . Or make me a new drug and reach profit point in 5 years or show me a single such case and than we can talk .

 

[Vinod2070]

20 years itself is absurd!
at max 5 yrs is enough...
problem is they dont want poor countries to be part of the market....

The problem can be solved with dual pricing. The practice already exists in other product categories.

The cost of production is not an issue at all. The companies will make extra profits from the poor people as well if you have this mechanism in place.

 

[egodoc222]

It's a matter of plain economics.

Drug companies invest billions into R&D and into decades of clinical trials (despite uninformed claims by random people on forums). I know, because I used to work for Bristol-Myers Squibb in the US. These companies need to recoup their costs, amortize them over failed projects, and make a profit. That's how business works, and that's why new medicines come from the evil capitalist West. There is no "committee of comrades" allocating development funds from an international pool and apportioning benefits "to each according to his need".

If drug companies sell X amount to Western customers at price Y, they will generate revenue X*Y.
If they can sell an additional amount A to developing countries at price B, they will generate additional revenue A*B.
So, their total revenue R = X*Y + A*B.

Now, assuming X and R remain constant, I will leave it for you to see how Y depends on A and B.

would removing a and b frm equation do any good???
we gonna make generics any way....getting smthng isn't btr thn nthng?

 

[Vinod2070]

Govt should pay for it . These Companies are making inventions not Indian govt.

As mentioned earlier, it is not always true and these companies use knowledge created by public funded universities, many times almost completely.

And it is the goverments sanctioned monopoly that is enabling the profits many times based on evergreening and not real innovations.

And for any government, the citizens' lives are more important than corporate profits. Even Western governments have emergency powers of compulsory licensing and so on.

You are wrong . 20 yeas is important . For each sucessful drug thousands fail . Or make me a new drug and reach profit point in 5 years or show me a single such case and than we can talk .

Much more money is spent on marketing than R&D.

Also, better alternatives will likely emerge when the current unfair regime is replaced by something better and more consumer friendly.

 

[egodoc222]

Govt should pay for it . These Companies are making inventions not Indian govt.



You are wrong . 20 yeas is important . For each sucessful drug thousands fail . Or make me a new drug and reach profit point in 5 years or show me a single such case and than we can talk .

so we are already making generics infact our entire pharmaceutical industry is based on generics....are u saying that these companies of west are running on losses or stopped r&d...?
if their sole market i.e usa and Europe can generate enough revenue...why cant they reduce prices in developing countries??
on the whole taking demand for these drugs into consideration and manufacturing they might end up even getting decent profits...
but they nt content with it and greedy..

 

[Cherokee]

so we are already making generics infact our entire family pharmaceutical industry is based on generics....are u saying that these companies of west are running on losses or stopped r&d...?
if their sole market i.e usa and Europe can generate enough revenue...why cant they reduce prices in developing countries??
on the whole taking demand for these drugs into consideration and manufacturing they might end up even getting decent profits...
but they nt content with it and greedy..

Generics are based of expired patents drugs . Why should they reduce prices in developing countries ?? Apart from humanitarian point of view , India govt should share cost burden or provide some sort of incentive for them to reduce price .

Everybody who is in business is greedy man .

 

[egodoc222]

Generics are based of expired patents drugs . Why should they reduce prices in developing countries ?? Apart from humanitarian point of view , India govt should share cost burden or provide some sort of incentive for them to reduce price .

Everybody who is in business is greedy man .

u missed my point here...we are talking about life saving drugs here....
and on govt bearing the cost part...these drugs cost u in lakhs....even if govt subsidized to 50 percent...how many of us can afford them?

 

[Cherokee]

u missed my point here...we are talking about life saving drugs here....
and on govt bearing the cost part...these drugs cost u in lakhs....even if govt subsidized to 50 percent...how many of us can afford them?

I agree with you on life saving drugs but apart from sharing 50 percent cost India can offer some incentive like no tax etc to lower price further man .

 

[egodoc222]

I agree with you on life saving drugs but apart from sharing 50 percent cost India can offer some incentive like no tax etc to lower price further man .

fogot to add...most of the generic drugs are based on expired patents not all