Posted on 09/21/2015 3:26:17 PM PDT by SMGFan
Gripe as we might, consumers understand that price increases do happen. What’s not as easily understood is how the price for something can go from $13.50 one day to $750 the next — especially when it’s a generic drug used to save lives.
For decades, Daraprim (pyrimethamine), an anti-parasitic used to treat malaria and toxoplasmosis, had been made by GlaxoSmithKline and sold for as little as $1/tablet until not that long ago. Then in 2010 GSK sold the drug to CorePharma, which began to raise the price. Within a year, revenue from Daraprim jumped nearly ten times even though the number of prescriptions written remained flat.
Then last month, a company called Turing Pharmaceuticals acquired the U.S. marketing rights to Daraprim and the retail price for the drug skyrocketed.
(Excerpt) Read more at consumerist.com ...
Bingo!
FDA regulations make it difficult to produce a generic version here, but I hear it can be had in Canadian and Indian pharmacies for a couple of bucks a pill!
It’s an old drug, it’s been around for over 60 years, so all the R&D has long since been costed in. I hope that everyone abroad undercuts this Albanian clown.
“I personally know of an insurance company incorporated since ACA and raking in the big bucks for inferior service...”
Would that be Coventry?
That’s brilliant! LOL! Horse pills indeed!
Drugs for animals are regualated by the FDA (cGMP's) the same as for humans so the quality is just as good.
We don't WANT people in the business of making 60 year old life saving drugs suddenly unaffordable! Its not like this greedy rat created the drug. I have a lot of sympathy for the drug companies actually create new life saving drugs that save lives trying to make some profit...my wife worked as a research scientist for such companies, and they have every moral right to try to recover costs and turn a profit. But this troll of a company did not create a life saving drug...it created a horrible crisis for those that need it.
So what was the major pesticide that was the most effective agent used to kill the mosquitos that spread malaria and what was the global agency that had the most to gain from its banning and had the most influence within the newly created EPA?
When all logic fails, follow the money........
Beat you by $88.00. Got a skin lotion to stop possible scalp cancer, and a $35 off coupon from the manufacturer.
Coupon not good at CVS for unknown reasons. A small spray cream container listed at $888.00. Got charged $333. Bought it because I had just gone thru skin cancer surgery and needed it. Still have some left over just in case.
You need to check on each high-priced prescription to see that it fits your medicinal needs, might have discount coupons, and then how it is actually priced by your pharmacy versus manufacturer’s suggested list price.
A good pharmacist will try to help you get discounts or lesser-priced equivalent medicines or even generics if they exist (and will do the job).
You’ll never know unless you ask your doctor and your pharmacist (as well as whether your insurance company will pay for any or all versions).
“This stuff! It’s the best ever...I had a patch of dermatitis on my collarbone area, and it took care of it. It’s at Sam’s Club and Amazon... “
If you have trouble finding it regular coconut oil will work just as well . I buy the one from Aldi a lot (it is a good quality coconut oil - melts clear at 78F )
The really sad thing is that many people are going to DIE because of this. The law should allow the company to be charged with Manslaughter. This nonsense should not be allowed for Life saving drugs.
We get basic pet drugs out of Australia online. No prescription is required as it is here, and the cost is about one-fourth of what it is here.
The guy who started up this company is an ex-hedge fund operator. He has to get his hands on a lot of money to pay back furious investors from the hedge fund losses. The distribution of the drug in question is tightly controlled buy the maker. It is not available through pharmacies but directly to hospitals. Supposedly, this type of distribution makes is almost impossible to get enough of the drug to reverse engineer it and make a generic version.
Scorpion antivenin sells for $100 per dose in Mexico; in the US the same stuff goes for $40,000 per dose.
It shouldn’t be necessary to “reverse engineer” it.
If it was patented, the patent disclosure should explain to a “skilled practitioner of the art” how to do it.
Thanks!
I love coconut oil...I always keep some in the house for my hair.
Big Pharm could do itself own a huge favor and us by learning some ethics and morality. Both FDA and Big Pharm need a trip to the woodshed. It is to where there are fewer manufacturers and facilities for "ALL" the medications produced thus limited quantities. Big Pharm recovers it's R&D cost by limiting supply and upping demand thus the price as well.
A little Googling reveals that Duraprim IS a generic — it’s just that this guy Martin Schkreli has the only current US rights. At this price, he’ll attract competitors, and surely knows that at best he’s getting a short-term windfall.
Bit of a dirtbag move, though.
Moxifloxacin (antibiotic): Overseas-$2; US-$200, if you can even get it.
obamacare writ large.
That extra money per pill will pay off many politicians.
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