Not only that, but the whole “creative, inventive, R&D cost” argument doesn’t even apply in this case. Mylan didn’t invent the EpiPen, they purchased the patents for it. So the cogent and relevant argument would be to compare the revenue they are making from EpiPen sales to the cost of acquiring those rights. Had he done his homework, or had any interest in the actual costs involved in producing this life-saving device, he would report that the actual manufacturing cost of epinephrine is only $1 per dose or what the auto-injector device actually costs. The fact that competitors can produce it and sell at a profit for $100 while Mylan is charging $600 is also missing from the story.
Of course, that would not feed the narrative that “a child’s life is worth any price”. That attitude is the root of the hyperbolic inflation in healthcare costs. It seems like every life saving treatment now requires you sign away your expected earnings for the rest of that life. It is legalized price gouging. It is also extortion, with government forcing you to buy insurance to cover procedures but sticking you with a deductible or co-pay amount higher than a free market would place on the service without insurance.
It is articles like this that make Republicans look bad — like we are all greedy jerks always taking the side of big business no matter how outrageous their behavior. I suspect in this case it is intentional, and part of the never-Trump movement to throw away the election.
“Mylan didn’t invent the EpiPen, they purchased the patents for it.”
This kind of crap has to stop. Patents with unrealistic longevity is killing “free” enterprise. There can be NO competition.
“It is articles like this that make Republicans look bad”
It’s articles like this that make conservatism look bad...and in fact ... is bad for free market capitalism. Mylan is showing just how greedy unfettered capitalism can get when there is no competition for the SAME product and brand.