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Tim

Since gaining FDA approval, four or five corporations have held the patent on AZT. Over that time period I estimate that (approx.) $30 Billion in profit was realized by those corporations. The NIH/NIAID/DAIDS/ACTG spends roughly $300 million/year on clinical trials. AZT was a failed cancer drug in the public domain. Tax payers paid for far more clinical trials of AZT than did Big pharma. Those $30 Billion in AZT profits could have funded the ACTG for 100 years. "Quality of Life" for whom?

October 14, 2015 • Milwaukee

Tom

Big pharma is constantly calculating what the "traffic will bear" in order to determine whether the mark-up on their product should be 100-to-1 or 5,000-to-1 on the production costs. Research costs are often paid-off in the first year of sales. But, Pre-exposure prophylaxis, early detection, and early treatment with functional generics bought from Canada or Mexico would change that calculus. "Linkage to care" and "quality life years" mean little to equations focused on maximizing profits.

October 14, 2015 • Chicago