Pharmaceutical Companies Spent 19 Times More On Self-Promotion Than Basic Research: Report

[bedowin62]

Hillary is, obama did, gore did; fly all over the world in rain-forest destroying, "global-warming"-causing private jets, to PROMOTE THEMSELVES

libs are simply idiots

 

[konradv]

It's their money, they spend it as they see it fit.

One reason they have so much to spend is because most basic research isn't done by the companies, but by universities under federal grants. We should have a say, since we paid for much of the groundwork from which they profit.

 

[Lonestar_logic]

Ah.. priorities.

Big Pharma might be working a lot harder to sell you products than to develop new ones.

Prescription drug companies aren't putting a lot of resources toward new, groundbreaking medication, according to a recent report in BMJ, a medical journal based in London. Instead, it's more profitable for them to simply to create a bunch of products that are only slightly different from drugs already on the market, the reports authors said.

"[P]harmaceutical research and development turns out mostly minor variations on existing drugs," the authors write. "Sales from these drugs generate steady profits throughout the ups and downs of blockbusters coming off patents."


The authors go on to say that for every dollar pharmaceutical companies spend on "basic research," $19 goes toward promotion and marketing.

And apparently it's been working. Drug company revenues climbed more than $200 billion in the years between 1995 and 2010, according to the website MinnPost. Meanwhile, in recent years, more than one in five Americans age 50 and up have had to cut down on their dosages or switch to cheaper generic drugs because the cost of medication is so high.

The BMJ study isn't the first time pharmaceutical companies have been accused of putting their own profits ahead of the health of their customers. Lexchin, a professor at York University's School of Health Policy and Management, was the co-author of another study in 2008 that argued that pharmaceutical companies spend almost twice as much on promotion as they do on research and development.

And last year, an analysis of medical-journal opinion pieces on a certain kind of hormone therapy found that a surprisingly high number of the articles were written by authors who had accepted consulting or speaking fees from hormone manufacturers -- and that these authors, unsurprisingly, tended to come out in favor of the treatment.

Pharmaceutical Companies Spent 19 Times More On Self-Promotion Than Basic Research Report

Oh the horror!!!!

Spending money on things you don't agree with!!

We should shut them down immediately!!!

You people are morons!
!

 

[Lonestar_logic]

It's their money, they spend it as they see it fit.

One reason they have so much to spend is because most basic research isn't done by the companies, but by universities under federal grants. We should have a say, since we paid for much of the groundwork from which they profit.

LINK?

 

[kiwiman127]

People in the U.S. Pay for drug companies' self promotion by paying at least double the price that people pay in other countries pay.
For example, Nexium cost $200 in the U.S., Switzerland pays the next highest price at $60, in the Netherlands the cost is $23!
Those defending Big Pharma's rape of the American people must walk into car showroom and demand to pay the highest price possible when buying a car. Their reasoning is that stupid.

 

[Lonestar_logic]

People in the U.S. Pay for drug companies' self promotion by paying at least double the price that people pay in other countries pay.
For example, Nexium cost $200 in the U.S., Switzerland pays the next highest price at $60, in the Netherlands the cost is $23!
Those defending Big Pharma's rape of the American people must walk into car showroom and demand to pay the highest price possible when buying a car. Their reasoning is that stupid.

You need to stop buying medicine. That'll show them!!!

 

[Avorysuds]

Ah.. priorities.

Big Pharma might be working a lot harder to sell you products than to develop new ones.

Prescription drug companies aren't putting a lot of resources toward new, groundbreaking medication, according to a recent report in BMJ, a medical journal based in London. Instead, it's more profitable for them to simply to create a bunch of products that are only slightly different from drugs already on the market, the reports authors said.

"[P]harmaceutical research and development turns out mostly minor variations on existing drugs," the authors write. "Sales from these drugs generate steady profits throughout the ups and downs of blockbusters coming off patents."


The authors go on to say that for every dollar pharmaceutical companies spend on "basic research," $19 goes toward promotion and marketing.

And apparently it's been working. Drug company revenues climbed more than $200 billion in the years between 1995 and 2010, according to the website MinnPost. Meanwhile, in recent years, more than one in five Americans age 50 and up have had to cut down on their dosages or switch to cheaper generic drugs because the cost of medication is so high.

The BMJ study isn't the first time pharmaceutical companies have been accused of putting their own profits ahead of the health of their customers. Lexchin, a professor at York University's School of Health Policy and Management, was the co-author of another study in 2008 that argued that pharmaceutical companies spend almost twice as much on promotion as they do on research and development.

And last year, an analysis of medical-journal opinion pieces on a certain kind of hormone therapy found that a surprisingly high number of the articles were written by authors who had accepted consulting or speaking fees from hormone manufacturers -- and that these authors, unsurprisingly, tended to come out in favor of the treatment.

Pharmaceutical Companies Spent 19 Times More On Self-Promotion Than Basic Research Report

Why are drugs so expensive that these companies can charge so much and spend money so "poorly"?

That's right, because Government.

Thanks for that.

 

[Avorysuds]

It's their money, they spend it as they see it fit.

One reason they have so much to spend is because most basic research isn't done by the companies, but by universities under federal grants. We should have a say, since we paid for much of the groundwork from which they profit.

So your saying Government is responsible for high prices and poorly spend earnings? Interesting. I'll bet you want more Government to solve this Government created problem.

 

[longknife]

I usually don't respond to this drone's post but will do this one.

Medical research in the USA has become tightly controlled by government agencies - especially the FDA. Because of those regulations, much effort must be put into unnecessary and time-consuming activities instead of actual research.

There are several levels of testing, the first, of course, on animals. Because of groups like PITA and others, this step has been seriously hampered. More $ and time wasted.

Then comes the human testing phase - again riddled with controls and regulations.

And finally, when the product has reached a usable stage, it must overcome bureaucratic hurdles at the FDA and other agencies. Only after a "stamp of approval" has been issued is the company able to put its product on the market.

Why waste all that effort here when they can go to other countries and conduct their research at immense savings?

Ever wonder why drugs are so much cheaper in other countries?

 

[martybegan]

Ah.. priorities.

Big Pharma might be working a lot harder to sell you products than to develop new ones.

Prescription drug companies aren't putting a lot of resources toward new, groundbreaking medication, according to a recent report in BMJ, a medical journal based in London. Instead, it's more profitable for them to simply to create a bunch of products that are only slightly different from drugs already on the market, the reports authors said.

"[P]harmaceutical research and development turns out mostly minor variations on existing drugs," the authors write. "Sales from these drugs generate steady profits throughout the ups and downs of blockbusters coming off patents."


The authors go on to say that for every dollar pharmaceutical companies spend on "basic research," $19 goes toward promotion and marketing.

And apparently it's been working. Drug company revenues climbed more than $200 billion in the years between 1995 and 2010, according to the website MinnPost. Meanwhile, in recent years, more than one in five Americans age 50 and up have had to cut down on their dosages or switch to cheaper generic drugs because the cost of medication is so high.

The BMJ study isn't the first time pharmaceutical companies have been accused of putting their own profits ahead of the health of their customers. Lexchin, a professor at York University's School of Health Policy and Management, was the co-author of another study in 2008 that argued that pharmaceutical companies spend almost twice as much on promotion as they do on research and development.

And last year, an analysis of medical-journal opinion pieces on a certain kind of hormone therapy found that a surprisingly high number of the articles were written by authors who had accepted consulting or speaking fees from hormone manufacturers -- and that these authors, unsurprisingly, tended to come out in favor of the treatment.

Pharmaceutical Companies Spent 19 Times More On Self-Promotion Than Basic Research Report

I note you use the term "basic research." How much is spent on putting new drugs through the layers and layers of FDA approval needed to bring a drug to market? Is scale up and production research included in "basic research"

The study limits the development scale to get the 19x number, another way people skew facts to make a false and stupid point.

 

[kiwiman127]

Ah.. priorities.

Big Pharma might be working a lot harder to sell you products than to develop new ones.

Prescription drug companies aren't putting a lot of resources toward new, groundbreaking medication, according to a recent report in BMJ, a medical journal based in London. Instead, it's more profitable for them to simply to create a bunch of products that are only slightly different from drugs already on the market, the reports authors said.

"[P]harmaceutical research and development turns out mostly minor variations on existing drugs," the authors write. "Sales from these drugs generate steady profits throughout the ups and downs of blockbusters coming off patents."


The authors go on to say that for every dollar pharmaceutical companies spend on "basic research," $19 goes toward promotion and marketing.

And apparently it's been working. Drug company revenues climbed more than $200 billion in the years between 1995 and 2010, according to the website MinnPost. Meanwhile, in recent years, more than one in five Americans age 50 and up have had to cut down on their dosages or switch to cheaper generic drugs because the cost of medication is so high.

The BMJ study isn't the first time pharmaceutical companies have been accused of putting their own profits ahead of the health of their customers. Lexchin, a professor at York University's School of Health Policy and Management, was the co-author of another study in 2008 that argued that pharmaceutical companies spend almost twice as much on promotion as they do on research and development.

And last year, an analysis of medical-journal opinion pieces on a certain kind of hormone therapy found that a surprisingly high number of the articles were written by authors who had accepted consulting or speaking fees from hormone manufacturers -- and that these authors, unsurprisingly, tended to come out in favor of the treatment.

Pharmaceutical Companies Spent 19 Times More On Self-Promotion Than Basic Research Report

Why are drugs so expensive that these companies can charge so much and spend money so "poorly"?

That's right, because Government.

Thanks for that.

Actually, you are correct.
The US has the only government in the world (other than Turkey), that doesn't allow it's government to negotiate the cost of drugs with Big Pharma, so it's citizens won't be forced to pay such high prices.
Americans are basically paying for Big Pharma's world-wide advertising.

 

[konradv]

One reason they[Big Pharma] have so much to spend is because most basic research isn't done by the companies, but by universities under federal grants. We should have a say, since we paid for much of the groundwork from which they profit.

So your saying Government is responsible for high prices and poorly spend earnings? Interesting. I'll bet you want more Government to solve this Government created problem.

Why don't you try telling us what you think, instead of imagining what I think? Your analysis is totally foolish, since the Republicans protect Big Pharma at every turn and high prices are the result, despite the fact that much of the ground work is paid for by your tax dollars. If they were suffering from over regulation, how is it that they can afford to spam the airwaves 24/7 with ads for their newest money maker which the average American has already paid quite a bit for?

 

[kiwiman127]

The cost of healthcare in the US is hurting the US economy according to most economist.
Healthcare makes up 17.1 percentage of our GDP, compared that with the average of percentage of all OECD at an average of 9.3%. This not only hurts American citizens but also US companies and effects their world-wide competitiveness.
Why do some people prefer profits over the financial stability of their own country.
People realize that many of these Big Pharmas are foreign based,don't they?

 

[2aguy]

Ah.. priorities.

Big Pharma might be working a lot harder to sell you products than to develop new ones.

Prescription drug companies aren't putting a lot of resources toward new, groundbreaking medication, according to a recent report in BMJ, a medical journal based in London. Instead, it's more profitable for them to simply to create a bunch of products that are only slightly different from drugs already on the market, the reports authors said.

"[P]harmaceutical research and development turns out mostly minor variations on existing drugs," the authors write. "Sales from these drugs generate steady profits throughout the ups and downs of blockbusters coming off patents."


The authors go on to say that for every dollar pharmaceutical companies spend on "basic research," $19 goes toward promotion and marketing.

And apparently it's been working. Drug company revenues climbed more than $200 billion in the years between 1995 and 2010, according to the website MinnPost. Meanwhile, in recent years, more than one in five Americans age 50 and up have had to cut down on their dosages or switch to cheaper generic drugs because the cost of medication is so high.

The BMJ study isn't the first time pharmaceutical companies have been accused of putting their own profits ahead of the health of their customers. Lexchin, a professor at York University's School of Health Policy and Management, was the co-author of another study in 2008 that argued that pharmaceutical companies spend almost twice as much on promotion as they do on research and development.

And last year, an analysis of medical-journal opinion pieces on a certain kind of hormone therapy found that a surprisingly high number of the articles were written by authors who had accepted consulting or speaking fees from hormone manufacturers -- and that these authors, unsurprisingly, tended to come out in favor of the treatment.

Pharmaceutical Companies Spent 19 Times More On Self-Promotion Than Basic Research Report

Yeah...and you know what the solution to this is Socialist......start your own Pharmaceutical company and spend your profits any way you want.......it is very easy to criticize them when you haven't achieved anything close to the miracle cures this industry has created......

So let me know when you create your first miracle cure......

 

[konradv]

Yeah...and you know what the solution to this is, Socialist......start your own Pharmaceutical company and spend your profits any way you want.......it is very easy to criticize them when you haven't achieved anything close to the miracle cures this industry has created......So let me know when you create your first miracle cure......

We have every right to criticize, since so much of Big Pharma's success is predicated on basic research funded by our tax dollars.

 

[defcon4]

Yeah...and you know what the solution to this is, Socialist......start your own Pharmaceutical company and spend your profits any way you want.......it is very easy to criticize them when you haven't achieved anything close to the miracle cures this industry has created......So let me know when you create your first miracle cure......

We have every right to criticize, since so much of Big Pharma's success is predicated on basic research funded by our tax dollars.

What's the tax rate in Russia?

 

[konradv]

We have every right to criticize, since so much of Big Pharma's success is predicated on basic research funded by our tax dollars.

What's the tax rate in Russia?

What's with the non-sequitur? Provide more back up info. What's your point?

 

[kiwiman127]

I'd guess the taxes are higher than what they are in the U.S.. But because Russia. Negotiates the cost of healthcare (including drugs), their cost per capita is $1227 while the U.S. is $8233. This gives them more money to spend on their military and secret police.

 

[2aguy]

Yeah...and you know what the solution to this is, Socialist......start your own Pharmaceutical company and spend your profits any way you want.......it is very easy to criticize them when you haven't achieved anything close to the miracle cures this industry has created......So let me know when you create your first miracle cure......

We have every right to criticize, since so much of Big Pharma's success is predicated on basic research funded by our tax dollars.

Okay....you guys never explain this but there is always hope.....you guys support increased taxes going to the federal government...right? You don't deny that now, do you? Well, since you support more tax money going to the very politicians who are greedy and corrupt and giving tax money to these evil Pharma corporations....the ones discovering miracle cures.....but you guys think the world is over populated and needs some culling.............but you want to increase taxes and then give that money to these same politicians...right?

How does that make any sense at all?

 

[konradv]

We have every right to criticize, since so much of Big Pharma's success is predicated on basic research funded by our tax dollars.

Okay....you guys never explain this but there is always hope.....you guys support increased taxes going to the federal government...right? You don't deny that now, do you? Well, since you support more tax money going to the very politicians who are greedy and corrupt and giving tax money to these evil Pharma corporations....the ones discovering miracle cures.....but you guys think the world is over populated and needs some culling.............but you want to increase taxes and then give that money to these same politicians...right? How does that make any sense at all?

Why don't you tell us what you think instead of imagining what I think. I was saying we have a right to have a say in Big Pharma's actions, because we pay for so much of the basic research from which they profit. However, you started talking about raising taxes, a non-sequitur in my book. What's up with that? Stick to the topic.