U.S. Sees Pricier Cancer Drugs at Launch, and It Gets Worse From There - MedPage Today June 23, 2021

[cujoe]

U.S. Sees Pricier Cancer Drugs at Launch, and It Gets Worse From There

— Already-substantial prices soared years after approval versus European countries - MedPage Today, June 23, 2021

medpagetoday.com/hematology...

For those paying attention there are no surprises in this MedPage Today article. This quote sort of sums it all up for our patient community:

"The two key takeaways from this study are that drug prices are rising faster in the U.S. than in Europe, and that regardless of geography, drug prices do not reflect clinical benefit," Syed Yousuf Zafar, MD, of the Margolis Center for Health Policy at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, told MedPage Today. (emphasis added)

No reason to think any of this will change anytime soon. Big Pharma owns the regulatory agencies and politicians. Status quo as far as the eye can see.

Evidence of corporate influence at FDA:

nypost.com/2021/06/22/fda-a...

Pharmaceuticals / Health Products: Money to Congress (Note: Higher rank seems to logically = more $$)

opensecrets.org/industries/...

Best government money can buy and the most expensive HC in the world. Perfect combo for maximizing the profits for the people we rely on for our health care.

Stay Informed, Be Safe & Stay Well,

Ciao - K9

[NPfisherman]

K9 Defender,

Say it ain't so... the government and Big Pharma in bed together and the cancer patient is screwed... My word !!!

As I always say, take a look at the prices of generics in India and compare to US prices. Why is Lupron, a drug that has been around for so long, so expensive ???

Great reporting as usual, amigo...

Fish

[cesces]

Dare I say the unspeakable?

This is not a bipartisan problem.

Demographically over 2/3 of elderly males vigorously support the party that vigorously support big pharma abuses.

So I would submit that, as a group, we bring this economic abuse on ourselves.

[cujoe in reply to cesces]

OpenSecrets.org listings show both parties are willing recipients of monies from HC special interests. More influential politicians who populate the most powerful committees are at the top of the lists. No surprise there, altho' the presence of Sanders at the top and Warren not far behind probably indicates that the winners get rewarded for winning. I remember when a newly elected Senator from my state's first out of state trip was to attend a corporate-sponsored Health Care weekend event in Florida several weeks after being sworn into office. No doubt, an action intended to garner contributions for the next election cycle. Best to watch what politician actually do and not what they say they will do.

Term limits (maybe age, too) and 100% public financing of all elections would change the face of the US political landscape overnight. A legitimate third party that challenged the 2-party status quo might also break the choke hold of the current system.

Unfortunately (for us proles), too many powerful people and special interests benefit by the current system, so I would suggest you not hold your breath while you wait.

BS / SW - K9

[cesces]

Pharma spreads their money around. It always helps on the margin. It's smart.

But it is one party that supplies the cheapest most reliable support. You can rationalize it anyway you want. But it is what it is.

Sanders and Warren support big pharma rip offs LoL. If you can rationalize that you can pretty much rationalize anything.

And there seems to be a lot of that lately.

[cujoe in reply to cesces]

With all due respects, Partisan opinions are better suited to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, than a cancer forum. You still don't seem to get that.

[cesces in reply to cujoe]

1. Whenever someone says "with all due respect" it generally means with disrespect.

2. You brought specific politicians into the discussion. Specifically two politicians most offensive to the most ideological us.

Why would you do that?

Perhaps thou protestest too much?

3. For me I stayed on topic. Pharma is heavily regulated worldwide.

It's the US regulation that is killing us. Some of us literally.

4. I submit your response is evidence in support of my original proposition.

Too many old men are emotionally unable to make rational decisions in their own self interest.

[cujoe in reply to cesces]

It seems from your history interacting at other HU forums (BTW, Why are you even here at FPC?), that most nearly all of your inputs strive to create controversy and continuous debate about issues that have nothing to do with the welfare of cancer patients.

As stated earlier, it seems your method of "discourse" is much better suited to what takes place on the aforementioned social media platforms.

No need to respond, as my replies to you are now and forever finished.

[cesces in reply to cujoe]

Cujoe

The real question is why you feel the need to stoop to Ad hominem attack to advance your point of view.

Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem

It's either because your argument has nothing of substance to advance, or for other reasons.

You are veering way way off topic. Please take this to private messaging please.

Thank you

[cujoe in reply to cesces]

??

[cesces in reply to cujoe]

Just go to your account here, and you will see how to private message.

Thank you for staying on topic in the public forums.

[cujoe in reply to cesces]

I know well how to private message and use it regularly to stay in touch with a very limited number of HU members. Most of my efforts at HU are geared toward posting information I consider worthy of consideration by those who read here.

[cesces in reply to cujoe]

"Most of my efforts at HU are geared toward posting information I consider worthy of consideration by those who read here."

A laudable goal so long as it stays focused on healthcare, and avoids ad hominum attacks on others.

[cujoe]

10 July Update to the Biogen Alzheimer drug approval.

It seems the tight relationship between FDA staff and Biogen might just have gotten a bit TOO tight. Probably the first time in the history of the FDA that anything like that has ever happened?

FDA calls for federal investigation into its controversial Alzheimer’s drug approval - STAT News - July 9, 2021

statnews.com/2021/07/09/fda...

I predict the guilty parties in the FDA will, as usual, just be reassigned, but not fired. Good work, if you can get it. Ciao - k9

[NPfisherman in reply to cujoe]

K9,

Saw it earlier...despite recommendations from staff not to approve... we'll see how it pans out... Big money for approval of a new Alzheimer's drug... people are desperate for help...

Fish

[cesces in reply to NPfisherman]

I am going to hazard a guess that this was driven less by money than by personal in-family desperation.

Not unlike why many people with prostate cancer are attracted to questionable cures and treatments.

That's still no excuse. Just that advanced degrees and high IQ are no protection from emotional decision making.