http://www.policymic.com/articles/80175/pharmaceutical-ceo-says-his-cancer-fighting-drugs-aren-t-for-poor-people
Big pharmaceutical companies constantly compete with one another to come up with the next "superstar" life-saving drug. But when the cure becomes a means of making money rather than a way to save lives, maybe they should refocus their mission statements<3.This money-hungry thought process has proven true in Bayer CEO Marijn Dekkers' recent comment where he said that Bayer's new cancer-fighting drug Nexavar was not made for poor people. Specifically, poor people from India.Dekkers quote is rooted in his anger towards the Indian pharmaceutical company Natco Pharma Ltd., which was granted a license to make a generic version of Nexaver. Nexaver treats late-stage kidney and liver cancer at a 97% reduced price. Instead of costing an estimated $69,000 for a year of medication, patients in India can now receive the same treatment for $177.
they were granted a license so no foul he's not suing them again no foul, but in his selfish rant about not making it for poor people especially poor of India, he gets beat out the blocks at a price 97% cheaper than his, i would think India wouldn't want their overpriced product. what about imports from India or a Canadian middle man.
The court's decision was based on India's patent laws, which state that compulsory licenses can be awarded in the absence of a cheaper alternative to the original drug. Like many other countries with great wealth disparity, India needs cheap generic drugs to treat low-income residents.
Maybe Dekkers should consider that charging $69,000 for a drug that can be produced for $177 is "essentially theft.""We did not develop this medicine for Indians," he said in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek. "We developed it for western patients who can afford it."
Pres. is trying to bring prices down on meds and health care and big pharma cares less than India who is looking out for their poor Bayer and Dekkers well they are looking out for theirselves, it will be interesting to see if the drug can be gotten here at that super realistic price and if so will Bayer still want to cater to those who have cancer that are rich he says that with this crack,
"We developed it for western patients who can afford it."
