ChiefNode

Orphan drugs not so orphan?

Interesting article in today's Wall Street Journal on how companies who have drugs which achieve FDA "orphan status" can then charge whatever they would like for at least the 7 years, but potentially longer. Because "biotech" created "generic" drugs can't really exist (at least that is what the big biotechs say), the monopoly granted by the orphan status may continue. So a humanitarian effort has turned into a mechanism to give companies ready, exclusive access to a known population. Now it's great that these drugs exist, no question. Now let's look at the rest of the problem.

posted by Dana Bostrom @ 13:04