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Cost of developing new drugs may be lower than industry claims: trial

(www.theguardian.com)
275 points swores | 6 comments | 25 Apr 24 12:25 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source | bottom
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MisterDizzy ◴[26 Apr 24 19:45 UTC] No.40173334[source]▶
Drug companies are unambiguously out of control. Some of these new molecules don't even need to be invented, they're just legally distinct repackaging of something they can't gouge on anymore. These companies could, if they had an incentive to do so, research effective off-label uses of existing drugs, say. But there's no money in that. There is a ton of money in making legally distinct "new" drugs that do the same thing as newly-generic drugs. It's unacceptable what they get away with.

Covid ought to have been the final straw that brought all sides together to do something about drug companies.

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1. acchow ◴[26 Apr 24 20:16 UTC] No.40173731[source]▶
What’s stopping people from using the old packaging when the patent expires?
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2. ceejayoz ◴[26 Apr 24 20:23 UTC] No.40173806[source]▶
They stop making it, and pay generic manufacturers not to.

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/drug-firms-st...

> Known as "reverse settlement payments," or "pay-to-delay" deals, the financial arrangements are a unique but common practice in the pharmaceutical industry. Essentially, they allow drug manufacturers in some instances to pay competitors not to manufacture generic versions of their products, thereby ensuring that they maintain patent protection for as long as possible.

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3. foota ◴[26 Apr 24 20:23 UTC] No.40173811[source]▶
There's a convoluted process that they can game to extend their exclusivity with the FDA see e.g., https://time.com/6336840/patent-manipulation-insulin-prices/
4. RandomBK ◴[26 Apr 24 20:26 UTC] No.40173838[source]▶
How is this not a blatent antitrust violation?
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5. ceejayoz ◴[26 Apr 24 20:28 UTC] No.40173865{3}[source]▶
The story of that particular legal saga is well laid out at https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/06/pharmaceut....

FTC is trying, but it's one of many places in society where money speaks loudly. https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/topics/competition-enforceme...

6. sowbug ◴[26 Apr 24 20:31 UTC] No.40173913[source]▶
"People" are the same drug companies that would rather use their manufacturing capabilities for high-margin on-patent drugs.

For a particularly sad example, certain kinds of testicular cancer are considered curable with off-patent drugs like cisplatin and etoposide. But those drugs are often unavailable simply because nobody wants to manufacture such low-margin drugs. See, for example,https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/oncology-drug-shortage-c....