Potential New Antibiotics??

[anonymous]

Amy,
I know you work for the drug companies, but come on.

There was no significant R&D needed for TOBI nor any long involved testing for safety. Tobramycine & saline had already been used for years.

As far as other drugs go, yes, then the cycle is long and expensive.
As I said in another post on another thread, it took over 15 years for my husband's work on a cancer drug (based on ancient diptheria research and some new research by him) to go from his lab bench to the pharmacy shelves.

For many of these meds - it is "what the market will bear" and here in the U.S. that means what the insurance companies will pay for.
-LisaV

 

[anonymous]

that would be my EXhusband's research. (as in the "bad" 1st husband--tho' he is/was a good researcher)
-LisaV

 

[NoExcuses]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>anonymous</b></i>

Amy,

I know you work for the drug companies, but come on.



There was no significant R&D needed for TOBI nor any long involved testing for safety. Tobramycine & saline had already been used for years.



As far as other drugs go, yes, then the cycle is long and expensive.

As I said in another post on another thread, it took over 15 years for my husband's work on a cancer drug (based on ancient diptheria research and some new research by him) to go from his lab bench to the pharmacy shelves.



For many of these meds - it is "what the market will bear" and here in the U.S. that means what the insurance companies will pay for.

-LisaV</end quote></div>


1st off - I felt this way PRIOR to working for a pharmaceutical company. I work for them now because I believe in what they do.

Secondly, guess what's funding more cancer research at Chiron? Revenues from TOBI. So regardless of whether or not you aknowledge the fact that clinical trials are expensive, researchers are expensive, and so is drug R&D, you have to be smart enough to understand how $ from today finances R&D for tomorrow.

3rdly, often times, yes, what the market will bear is our good friend capitalism. It's not perfect, but it works. Insurance companies don't have to cover any medication (except cancer). you know why they cover TOBI? Because it has been proven to reduce hospital stays.... which run around $80,000 a pop (at least where I live). It's a cost/benefit ratio. TOBI is covered because its worth the cost to keep patients out of the hospital.