Comments on: Plucking the Golden Goose Won’t Help Patients

By: Gene Quinn

Gene Quinn — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:56:01 +0000

Joe asked me to update the article to address the issue raised in comments #1 and #2 above. The second sentence of the third paragraph now reads: “It proposes that any drug derived from federal funding also be subjected to march in licensing if it’s sold at a higher price in the US than in seven “comparison countries,” or if US prices are higher than median prices abroad.”

Thanks.

-Gene

By: amici

amici — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 23:40:24 +0000

Excellent insightful post….
I agree with your comment – that “Hopefully the Obama Administration agrees with the prior dismissal and again denies this latest effort.”

Particularly in light of the current economic crisis / fiscal cliff…
Circumstances TODAY are quite different than 2004.

TODAY – Obama believes it’s in the “Government Interest” to fund PPACA / Obamacare.

Couple the current climate with the economic distribution beliefs, class warfare rhetoric (any family making over $250k is rich irrespective of the region of the country/cost of living in that region) with the characterization that all pharma companies are evil and only interested in profit and not life saving therapeutics… and you have a perfect storm – a crisis not to be wasted.

You’re right- the US life science industry would suffer a serious blow…reductions in university-industry partnerships, more jobs lost to overseas, less new therapies…. would be a total nightmare – a far cry from the American Dream.

By: Justin

Justin — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 23:27:46 +0000

Joe-

Thank you for the clarification. The article is very informative.

By: Joe Allen

Joe Allen — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 21:14:11 +0000

Sorry for any confusion. The proposed trigger
is if US prices are higher than those in
the other countries.

By: Justin

Justin — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 00:39:49 +0000

Joe-

I have a quick question about a line in your article, “It proposes that any drug derived from federal funding also be subjected to march in licensing if it’s sold at a higher price in seven “comparison countries,” or if US prices are higher than median prices abroad.”

Is the petition indeed proposing that march ins are triggered if the drug is sold at a higher price IN seven comparison countries, or did you mean to say that they trigger if the drug is sold at a higher price in the US THAN it is sold for in these seven comparison countries?

Thank you in advance for clearing up my confusion.