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looperhacks 2 days ago

I'm not going to bother fact checking a random comment without any sources, but regarding your second point: do you think "the rest of the world" gets drugs for free?

ludicrousdispla 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

anecdotally, my cost (without insurance) for a prescription medication (for a family member) in Austria was less than my copay for the same medication with insurance (BC/BS) in the US.

It's not free, but it's shockingly less expensive, and there are cheaper countries in the EU than Austria.

GoatInGrey 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

It's not for free, though low enough to where no biotech company would make a profit on new therapies at the current R&D spend if the US paid the same rates that everyone else is paying today. This goes for firms on any continent, and a large part of why FDA approval is such a big deal for the international medical enterprise.

We could trade reduced innovation for lower prices, but that's a difficult ethical debate to settle given the prevalence of medical suffering from lack of effective therapies.

The solution I personally petition for is looking for ways to make drug development more affordable across the board.

magicalist a day ago | parent [-]

> It's not for free, though low enough to where no biotech company would make a profit on new therapies at the current R&D spend if the US paid the same rates that everyone else is paying today.

Where are all the anti-taxes people on this apparent involuntary charity for the pharmaceutical industry?