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Prevacid Article

TAP began in 1977 as a joint venture between two global pharmaceutical leaders Abbott Laboratories, based in the United States, and Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd., based in Japan. TAP was created as a kind of “virtual” pharmaceutical company—designed, for example, without any internal discovery organization or manufacturing facilities. From the beginning, the company’s corporate structure and business model were unique. TAP went outside for new compounds, and by doing so, developed a flexible and versatile culture. At first, TAP acquired early-stage drug compounds solely from one of its parent companies, Takeda. Today TAP works with both Abbott and Takeda, and searches the world for in-licensing opportunities, focusing its efforts on rapid, high-quality drug development, and marketing and sales in North America.

Japanese technology, Chinese manufacturing, and US marketing weasels -- a typical arrangement.

My doctor gave me a prescription for Prevacid a couple
of years ago, when I was recovering from a near death
hospitalization caused by congestive heart failure, along
with several more medicines. I am self-employed and
my insurance did not cover drugs. When I went to the
Pharmacy and got my first thirty day supply of Prevacid
at $4.50 per capsule I went to Goggle and did my research.
I asked my doctor why I was having to take this high
dollar drug being as how I had not had indigestion since
I quit drinking twenty five years ago. He said that he
perscribed it in case I might get symptons from my other
medications. I told him that I would rather wait
until I needed it rather that spend that kind of money
just-in-case. He agreed and I have yet to have indigestion,
or any sign of it. Methinks doctors have certain drugs
they promote for whatever reason.

"MADE IN CHINA" That, to me, means that the finished cost of each capsule was on the level of Pennies each.

Good socialist thinking. However, in the real world, development and approval of drugs costs millions of dollars. The manufacturing price of the drug AFTER it is discovered and approved could be only a small cost -- but guess what -- somebody has to pay for the research and testing that went into the discovery and approval process.

Plus there are many "misses" in drug development -- things that don't work out -- you pay for those too. And then there are widely proscribed drugs and there are rarely proscribed drugs. The research costs may be equal, but all these misses, and unequally profitable drug development costs have to be paid for.

Where drugs have gone generic, competition beats prices pretty low -- so drug companies can only really make back their research and approval process expenses on new drugs for which they hold an initial production edge.

Now we could get Hillary as our maximum leader and she could prohibit the drug companies from charging high prices for their new drugs -- but guess what that would cause -- diminished drug research for lack of funds. I guess we'd have to turn over drug research to the government because "capitalism" doesn't work. huh?

Medicare/Medicade seems to have been mostly about coporate welfare for the drug companies and health industry for quite some time now. They give a large amount of our tax dollars back to the politicans to return the favor. I don't see anything changing in the near future.

Anything the gummint sticks its nose into results in inflated prices and corruption, graft and waste.

Of course, that's just my opinion.