But what of these profiteering pharmaceutical companies? Who regularly make a profit margin of 20% or more? With one drug costing £10m per patient, and a drug that targets the underlying cause of CF in a minority of CF pateints (Kalydeco) costing £180,000 pp, per annum, with a manufacturing cost a tiny fraction of this, you can see how. Drug companies justify the prices they charge by arguing that their research and development costs are huge. On average, only three in 10 drugs launched are profitable. Many more do not even make it to market. The industry argues that the overall value of the drug needs to be considered; some high cost drugs do save the NHS money over all, as they reduce other needs for intervention. But just because you can charge a high price for something does not mean you should, especially when it comes to health.
Big pharma companies then argue they only have a limited time in which to make profits. Patents are generally awarded for 20 years, but 10-12 of those are typically spent developing the drug. This leaves eight to 10 years to make money before the formula can be taken up by other pharma's, which sell the medicines for a fraction of the price. Sales then fall dramatically because there is no brand loyalty, but how can there be when the NHS struggles as it does? How could they continue to pay more for the same drug? A drug which might be made for just pennies?
Ultimately the profit line speaks for itself...in the news they regularly bemoan energy companies making a hell of a lot less profit at our expense, and this is about health. People's lives. It sickens me.
The WHO has talked of the "inherent conflict" between the legitimate business goals of the drug companies and the medical and social needs of the wider public, which is also rife with bribery. Isaac is prescribed one drug which costs the NHS more than an identical drug because they give the patient the incentive of a free nebuliser (worth £3,000) - if he stops that drug, but we still need a nebuliser (as is the case if this trial on the Tobi podhaler and Colobreathe goes well) will they demand the neb back? Another drug he takes is preferred by the NHS because they throw in free filters which protect pregnant women from the drugs which the patient is taking. One of his drugs costs £500 per week. Another £8,000 per year. Another still, about £8 per year. Seriously.
In other news..... Sinus surgery sounds more invasive than we first thought; Difficult to read and moving article here about life on O2; I am still appreciating my own functional internal organs, but not altogether right just yet; And frustratingly Isaac is more symptomatic towards the end of his course of Cipro (extra course of Pseudo fighting anti-bots) than when he started, and will continue on them for another week. Being no better after Cipro usually means IV's, so hoping for a better week to come; He was cheerful at clinic today and his sinus pain means he is actually quite keen for the surgery, and extra marsh mellows on his hot chocolate had its usual positive effect on my brave and handsome boy x
