Ferrari Mailing List: Re: Politics - Not List Material

[Erik Nielsen (judge4re]

It's all about cash flow for the biotech to keep going and pharma
getting something more than a powerpoint presentation on a concept.

On Sun, Nov 15, 2009 at 9:48 AM, Martin Stark <MStark [at] copper.net> wrote:
> What frequently happens when a drug is developed by a biotech company is
> that following one or more successful phase 2 trials the biotech will
> partner with a pharmo company for the much larger and very expensive phase 3
> trial(s). The biotech gets funding to go forward (and a possible future
> royalty) and in return the pharmo gets some degree of market exclusivity
> should the drug get to the NDA (new drug application) stage and be approved.
>
> Erik Nielsen wrote:
>
> When I teach chemical engineering design, the number I use is $880MM
> and 15-16 years to bring a drug to market.  Failure rates are in the
> 90% range.
>
> On Sun, Nov 15, 2009 at 8:59 AM, LarryT <l02turner [at] comcast.net> wrote:
>
>
> Along those same lines Merck recently commercialized a drug that controls a
> fungal infection.  World wide there were a couple dozen cases - and many
> were fatal.  Merck had scientist and engineers, etc. working on a drug for
> 10+ years.  All of that time and money spent (roughly $120k/ scientist/engr
> involved for 10 years with no ROI and no guarantee there would ever be a
> ROI.  Yet they spent the money and found a drug - because even though the
> people affected was incredibly small given the world population those who
> needed a cure welcomed their studies and eventual success.
>
> Sure, it was expensive,  but if you owned shares of Merck would you want
> them giving money away?  When you rail against a corporation making money
> you are really railing against millions of retired teachers, firemen and
> clerks who have their retirement income pinned to their mutual funds making
> money so they can pay a dividend and granny will be able to buy groceries
> this week.  When a corporation makes money the investors make money - the
> corp keeps some for salaries, R&D, capital and expense but there's no big
> account marked Profit.  The profit goes to the investors - something all
> anti-business liberals ignore.
>
> LarryT
>
> OilAnalysis Time?
> Looking for Weber Parts or Porsche Posters?
> www.youroil.net
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Jim Conforti" <lndshrk [at] xmission.com>
> Sent: Saturday, November 14, 2009 4:52 PM
> To: "Larry Turner" <l02turner [at] comcast.net>
> Cc: "Ferrari List" <ferrari [at] ferrarilist.com>
> Subject: Re: [Ferrari] Politics - Not List Material
>
>
>
> Michael James wrote:
>
>
> Polio wasn't eradicated by Pfizer.  Ever wonder why we have half-a-dozen
> pills on the market to cure Erectile Dysfunction in this country, but no
> cure for AIDS?
>
>
>  Let's see - because AIDS - despite the ridiculous amounts of money
>  spent on it to date - has not been "cured" - by all of the researchers
>  who search for a "cure".
>
>  TENS of BILLIONS of DOLLARS are spent on HIV research annually.
>
>  IMNSHO to the detriment of every other medical condition there is.
>
>  Sorry - not going to blame "private industry" here.
>
> Or Cancer?
>
>  Many types of cancer CAN be cured.  Many cannot.
>
>  There is no one CANCER.
>
> Couldn't that private-industry investment
>
>
> for the development of Viagra have been better-spent on more worthwhile
> medical pursuits that better-support the goodness and health of the
> greater society?
>
>
>  What gives you the right to tell me where my dollars should go?
>
>  Or some company?
>
>  That's called THEFT - or INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE.
>
>  That aside, your hate for capitalism and the success it brings, shows
>  loud and clear, COMRADE.
>
>  Do you know how Viagra was found?
>
>  They weren't looking for PENIS PILLS.
>
>  They were researching drugs TO TREAT HYPERTENSION (Blood Pressure),
>  ANGINA, and Blood Clots - researching a group of drugs called
>  phosphodiesterase inhibitors.
>
>  It was a serendipitous discovery.  They were going to discard it and move
>  onto the next drug when they found out it helped w/ erections.
>
>  Voila - now old guys can get it on, and old ladies don't have to cheat
> with
>  the pool boy or gardener anymore... WIN/WIN!
>
>  Unlike (for example) the discovery of Zanamivir - aka RELENZA.
>
>  Which was designed by computational chemistry (my specialty, btw!) to
>  be a neuraminidase inhibitor - something that prevents the influenza
>  virus from replicating via infection of healthy cells.
>
>  Both cases of industry spending MONEY to find a cure for a disease.
>
> Guess what - private-industry doesn't give a DAMN
>
>
> about such things.  Let's not kid ourselves here - this isn't the 1950s
> anymore.  Business 'ethics' and 'values' have deteriorated from what
> they once were to ONLY THE BOTTOM LINE MATTERS.  Quick, short-term
> profits by any means necessary.
>
>
>  Really?
>
>  Here we go with the anti-capitalism/pro-socialism fantasies.
>
>  Viagra was discovered by accident while researchers were looking for real
>  cures for REAL diseases.  Zanamivir was discovered intentionally as a
> cure
>  for a REAL disease.
>
>  Gee, that blows your theories right out of the water, doesn't it COMRADE?
>
>  As usual.
>
>  Suggestion: Quit while you're ahead.
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