[thechat] pure evil: Tobacco giant buys rights to lung cancer drugs

Luther, Ron Ron.Luther at compaq.com
Mon Dec 3 15:36:20 CST 2001


Hi Joe,


A very interesting issue!  Lots of interesting economics and dynamics in
there ... and interesting stories too! (Even some good ones like Gerber
continuing to make their 'meat substitute' babyfood - even at a loss -
because it helps some kids with an unusual condition.)

* If your new cure is 'too' effective, you eliminate your market need
before you recoup your R&D expenses.

* If 'too few' people suffer from a malady, it isn't cost effective to
even research a cure.

RonL.
(Hey!  Did I tell you about the time I tried to sell Marketing (at the
telco) on an ad campaign showing the benefits custom calling services
would have for organized crime?

Call Waiting:
"... yeah, I'll take 20 kilos" (BEEP) "... wait a minute, another call
coming in"
<click>
"Yeah?"
"Cheese it, Tony!  The heat!"

:-)

)


-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Crawford [mailto:jcrawford at avencom.com]
Subject: Re: [thechat] pure evil: Tobacco giant buys rights to lung
cancer drugs

The natural tension is between two things -- the ability of people who 
develop cures to reap a benefit from the work put in to developing those

cures (and hopefully grow enough to get more) -- and the ability of the 
sick to get access to those cures.

There's a similar problem in the drug industry.




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