Hacker News Reader

Comment by aquadrop | Hacker News Reader

Yes, but that's still sky high price for most of the world. And if they put price order of magnitude less, won't it bring around order of magnitude more people who can afford it and they money outcome will be pretty much the same? Look at pharma companies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pharmaceutical_compani... They are very profitable, maybe we should make them less profitable and more effective widespread-wise?

View on HN

I don't think you understood his point. Even though this drug costs $84K, it's still cheaper than current treatments that include prolonged hospitalization and liver transplants.

It's sort of like people complaining that Lipitor costs $5K/yr. The fact it prevents a number of heart attacks, means that it's actually a cost saving treatment.

This is exactly right. 84K is a drop in the bucket for cancer treatment. I have been going through cancer since 2008, and GVHD since my stimcell in 2011. I had no insurance when I was diagnosed at age 23 at top physical condition of my life. The financial aid program at North Side Hospital in Atlanta and Medicaid system of the US of A has kept me alive. But I know I probably have over 3 million in debt in my name alone. 84k would be nice.

On a side note, this is how every single zombie movie starts. Genetic Mutations to stop cancer.

you mean by abolishing drugs patents?

check out the healthcare sector margins (notice major manufacturers, vs. generics manufacturers):

http://biz.yahoo.com/p/5qpmd.html

You know those "greedy insurance companies" that the US is struggling to wrangle with complicated legislation and broken website markets? They only make 3% margin.

> You know those "greedy insurance companies" that the US is struggling to wrangle with complicated legislation and broken website markets? They only make 3% margin.

Of course, that's after paying out executive salaries, including bonuses for "cost cutting".

Executive compensation is subject to market forces. You can't waive a magic wand and cut executive salaries without losing upper management talent and running the company into the ground.

You're missing the point entirely. Executive salaries can be a magic wand for insurance companies to go "look how low our margins are!" by funneling what would've been profits into the pockets of their already highly-paid execs.

By the way, it look even more interesting here: http://biz.yahoo.com/p/s_qpmd.html

Healthcare is the most profitable industry, even more profitable than banks. Insane...

I mean by all ways. Abolishing or shortening patents maybe part of it sure. There's a lot of people/scientists who want to work and help people. We just need more effective ways to let them do so.

Most of the world has socialized medical systems.

I know, I live in a country with socialized medical system. It doesn't matter. Socialized system means everybody pay collective check to those pharma companies. The issue I was talking about is more effective way of inventing and distributing drugs.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com