Cost of Health Care Continues to Rise

[whell]

Originally Posted by merrylander

I can't understand why the powers that be are so eager to kiss the arse of big pharma, they are all based off-shore. The only reason they maintain a presence here is for access to the research of NIH. The major reason for the rising cost of drugs has SFA to do with research. The increase is to cover advertising - four or five pages in every issue of major magazines - endless TV commercials, and executive salaries. What have they come up with of late besides skippy stiffeners.

FYI - 8 of the 15 major players in the pharma industry are US - based. The others are in the UK, France, Switzerland, Germany and Japan. I think Phizer, based in NJ, is still the worlds largest phrama company.

Profit margins are higher in the phrama industry, but are eroded by lower return on assets due to shortening of patent protection, litigation and high R&D costs.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by whell

FYI - 8 of the 15 major players in the pharma industry are US - based. The others are in the UK, France, Switzerland, Germany and Japan. I think Phizer, based in NJ, is still the worlds largest phrama company.

Profit margins are higher in the phrama industry, but are eroded by lower return on assets due to shortening of patent protection, litigation and high R&D costs.

I think you missed Rob's point. He wasn't claiming that all the major players are US based as opposed to overseas based, a difference with an ever-waning distinction, but that they all have huge "bricks and mortar" presence here in the Land of the Free Access to government-funded research.

John

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by whell

FYI - 8 of the 15 major players in the pharma industry are US - based. The others are in the UK, France, Switzerland, Germany and Japan. I think Phizer, based in NJ, is still the worlds largest phrama company.

Profit margins are higher in the phrama industry, but are eroded by lower return on assets due to shortening of patent protection, litigation and high R&D costs.

Well Phizer just bought out Wyeth so that certainly gets them in the big league, but regardless the off shore companies only have a presence here for access to NIH and University research.

Big pharma will only research diseases that are very common, bigger user base, more profit. If your disease is rare you are SOL.

Shortening patent protection Hoho, can you say Prilosec and Nexium? All Astra Zenica did was tweak the makeup, change the name and voila! a whole new patent.

Then they have the unmitgated gall to state "If you can't afford the medication we may be able to help." Sure if you and your wife only have a yearly income below $35,000. Meanwhile they jack up the cost by 10-12% per year so three guesses who it is that is "helping" these poor folk with their prescription cost.

This BS about the high cost of drugs here is because we are bearing the whole cost of research is just that - BS. We are paying for the advertising, executive salaries, and whatever it costs big pharma to employ all those thieves on K street.

Never heard back from Novartis, guess comparing them to leeches upset them.