This is silly because it doesn't take into consideration all the health issues that are alleviated when people stop overeating and get down to a normal weight
"Outrageously" priced weight-loss drugs could bankrupt US health care
21–30 of 102 posts
Re: "Outrageously" priced weight-loss drugs could bankrupt US health care
#22Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I'd argue that there's a moral imperative to bootleg the drug and distribute it to those who would benefit from it at a fair price. Why not do away with patents and IP altogether if the standard is that as soon as someone makes something needed it can be stolen?
Why not make an exception for life-saving patents/inventions? The irony that, were it not priced outrageously, it could save the health care industry billions as these people with obesity will otherwise require epesneive treatments if the remain obese.
There are already exceptions for technical products that must be licensed on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms. (RAND or FRAND. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reasonable_and_non-discriminat... )
Why not carve out a new exception for breakthrough drugs that have the potential to add X% to the GDP or save X lives/annum?
Re: "Outrageously" priced weight-loss drugs could bankrupt US health care
#23Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I'd argue that there's a moral imperative to bootleg the drug and distribute it to those who would benefit from it at a fair price. Why not do away with patents and IP altogether if the standard is that as soon as someone makes something needed it can be stolen?
Why not make an exception for life-saving patents/inventions? The irony that, were it not priced outrageously, it could save the health care industry billions as these people with obesity will otherwise require epesneive treatments if the remain obese.
> Why not make an exception for life-saving patents/inventions?
This ain’t it though.
Re: "Outrageously" priced weight-loss drugs could bankrupt US health care
#24> A study by researchers at Yale estimated that drugs like Wegovy can be profitably manufactured for less than $5 per month. Serious question: Why not just bootleg the stuff? It's a very small protein, easy to make, and "research chemical" companies that sell structurally similar bodybuilding drugs and nootropics are a dime a dozen. Search online for "BPC-157" (a protein drug of only slightly inferior complexity) and…
> Serious question: Why not just bootleg the stuff? Historically, the black market for medication has been vanishingly small. People don't as a rule trust drugs they get off of alibaba or wherever; even the viagra gray market is a small fraction of the prescription revenue. And this doesn't treat something critical, it's a weight loss drug. To be blunt most people would probably choose to remain fat vs. buying an ill…
>To be blunt most people would probably choose to remain fat vs. buying an illegal generic.
Wow, I think the exact opposite. Weight loss is a huge industry and people are desperate.
Re: "Outrageously" priced weight-loss drugs could bankrupt US health care
#25The USA should nationalize the health care industry and all the pharmaceutical companies. Illness should not be a source of profit.
> The USA should nationalize the health care industry and all the pharmaceutical companies.
Novo Nordisk is a Danish company. Read that again: it is European.
Re: "Outrageously" priced weight-loss drugs could bankrupt US health care
#26Earlier quoted context omitted.
They already are. Weight loss clinics will send the Rx to a compounding pharmacy.
>clinics will send the Rx to a compounding pharmacy. I think you are confused about what a compounding pharmacy is -- at least if you refer to how it works in the US.
Not sure what you mean. You can sign up for compounded semaglutide from many online services (e.g. Ro https://ro.co/weight-loss/compounded-semaglutide/)
It's still expensive, but far cheaper than brand name with similar efficacy. Competition from these programs will likely drive costs much lower over the next few years.
Re: "Outrageously" priced weight-loss drugs could bankrupt US health care
#27> A study by researchers at Yale estimated that drugs like Wegovy can be profitably manufactured for less than $5 per month. Serious question: Why not just bootleg the stuff? It's a very small protein, easy to make, and "research chemical" companies that sell structurally similar bodybuilding drugs and nootropics are a dime a dozen. Search online for "BPC-157" (a protein drug of only slightly inferior complexity) and…
> I'd argue that there's a moral imperative to bootleg the drug and distribute it to those who would benefit from it at a fair price. Why not do away with patents and IP altogether if the standard is that as soon as someone makes something needed it can be stolen?
I'm in favour of doing away with patents entirely. Or maybe make them 3 years and not 20.
Re: "Outrageously" priced weight-loss drugs could bankrupt US health care
#28The USA should nationalize the health care industry and all the pharmaceutical companies. Illness should not be a source of profit.
Like education, government involvement only causes prices to go up. Why wouldn't they? The government has unlimited money. The education and healthcare industry beats the government like a money pinata.
Why would you suggest more government to a government created problem? Usually because people don't realize the government as the root cause in the first place. Get the government out, let people actually pay for their own health care, so they actually 'care' what they're paying. Use insurance for the exceptions cases. And social programs for the people who really can't afford it.
Capitalism actually works if you let it.
Re: "Outrageously" priced weight-loss drugs could bankrupt US health care
#29The USA should nationalize the health care industry and all the pharmaceutical companies. Illness should not be a source of profit.
> The USA should nationalize the health care industry and all the pharmaceutical companies. Novo Nordisk is a Danish company. Read that again: it is European.
Nationalized healthcare doesn’t stop at a pharmaceutical manufacturer’s borders. You think NHS or any other country with socialized medicine pays what the US does? With socialized healthcare the pharmaceutical companies pay what the nation dictates or it doesn’t do business with that nation. I highly doubt Novo Nordisk would write off the US if it went to Medicare for all.
Re: "Outrageously" priced weight-loss drugs could bankrupt US health care
#30This is silly because it doesn't take into consideration all the health issues that are alleviated when people stop overeating and get down to a normal weight
Which ones weren’t accounted for in the CBO report, which tried to take into consideration other health issues (from a financial perspective at least)?
It states that “at their current prices, [anti-obesity medicines] would cost the federal government more than it would save from reducing other health care spending—which would lead to an overall increase in the deficit over the next 10 years”