Comments on: Goodbye, generic Plavix (for real)

By: RJS

RJS — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 22:04:14 +0000

Without a profit incentive, capitalism doesn't work. And if you think that R&D still happens on the same scale when the profit incentive is removed, I suggest you go study the Cold War. And then think about who won the Cold War, and why.

Without the possibility of a windfall, why should companies take the risk of working on a new drug (a VERY expensive process), bearing in mind that drug development is a VERY risky business. (See Pfizer's $800 million drug failure torcetrapib most recently.) Even monster companies cannot afford to eat an $800 million loss. Good thing they had some blockbuster drugs to stabilize them (a little).

By: JUNE LUNSFORD

JUNE LUNSFORD — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 20:34:23 +0000

If the truth about high prices for drugs was indeed the R&D then why do the prices never go down after the expenses have been thoroughly recouped? Drug companies continue to raise the price of drugs and wash their hands of responsibility. This generation of walnut paneled office leeches has created most of our health care problems with a little assistance from the life sucking insurance companies. Plavix is just another drug to pull our senior citizens down into the doughnut hole. When is the generic coming back out?

By: RJS

RJS — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 15:36:23 +0000

I pay for my own health insurance out of pocket. That's $410 a month and if you were to add up my total income, I'm barely over the federal poverty level. Not counting my six figures of student debt.

Thanks for playing, though.

By: Randy Thomas

Randy Thomas — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 12:18:08 +0000

One dollar a day maybe to you but what about us that must cover the costs of our own medications? If you see the pure profits these companies are making or you paid for your own medications I don't think you would have such a ho-hum attitude.

Randy T.

By: OK so it’s expensive but would you really rather go without it? :: OnThePharm

Tue, 08 May 2007 12:24:42 +0000

[...] it's a diamond. Or some medications. And this was brought to my attention most recently by a comment left on an old Plavix post. My premise is that the public thinks about the cost of medical intervention the wrong way. [...]

By: RJS

RJS — Sun, 06 May 2007 17:24:10 +0000

Well you could certainly do that. But high prices exist for more reasons than simply to make money. Consider that it costs $6-700 million to make a drug and bring it to market, and that not every drug makes it. Drug companies are doing well, sure, but R&D is a cost that most people forget when they make silly comments like "But it's just a little pill!"

Generally, Plavix is a name-brand copayment, which is usually in the ballpark of $25-35 per month. $1/day to be healthy? Yes, please…

By: wayne nolan

wayne nolan — Sun, 06 May 2007 17:15:40 +0000

damn,these large pharmasuitical co's I'll not pay their hi prices and change my medicines to what ever it takes to exclude any thing made by them!!!