SamuelTheLamanite Posted November 3, 2017 Posted November 3, 2017 Does it make sense for pharmaceutical companies to invest in drugs that only help a small number of patients?
Calm Posted November 3, 2017 Posted November 3, 2017 (edited) Do you have a rare disease? Or a family member? If not, do you think you can fairly judge the need? Research into rare diseases may help find answers for more common ones. Edited November 3, 2017 by Calm 1
The Nehor Posted November 3, 2017 Posted November 3, 2017 3 hours ago, SamuelTheLamanite said: Does it make sense for pharmaceutical companies to invest in drugs that only help a small number of patients? Depends on how wealthy and/or desperate that small number is.
thesometimesaint Posted November 3, 2017 Posted November 3, 2017 7 hours ago, SamuelTheLamanite said: Does it make sense for pharmaceutical companies to invest in drugs that only help a small number of patients? Does your morality depend on the size of your pay check?
rpn Posted November 3, 2017 Posted November 3, 2017 (edited) 10 hours ago, SamuelTheLamanite said: Does it make sense for pharmaceutical companies to invest in drugs that only help a small number of patients? No, and that is why government subsidizes such development. Sometimes when they do, new research produces new information that is useful more broadly. But it does make personal humanity sense to work on orphan drugs, even when it makes no economical sense. ETA: It is also a consequence of mortals believing that preserving life beyond its natural life by medicine of all kinds is desireable, when death is merely another part of life and one that happens sometimes when a person has done whatever s/he needs to do in mortal life. Edited November 3, 2017 by rpn 1
Traela Posted November 3, 2017 Posted November 3, 2017 Yes, it does. Medicines and procedures that help rare and/or orphan (that get little to no government funding) conditions often end up having applications far beyond the original target audience. My children have Fanconi Anemia. The same research and medicines that help them also gives broader insight on cancer, Type II diabetes, aging, and cell repair. 1
The Nehor Posted November 3, 2017 Posted November 3, 2017 1 hour ago, rpn said: No, and that is why government subsidizes such development. Sometimes when they do, new research produces new information that is useful more broadly. But it does make personal humanity sense to work on orphan drugs, even when it makes no economical sense. ETA: It is also a consequence of mortals believing that preserving life beyond its natural life by medicine of all kinds is desireable, when death is merely another part of life and one that happens sometimes when a person has done whatever s/he needs to do in mortal life. I am more interested in medicine’s ability to improve the quality of life over extending the quantity most of the time. 1
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