Sorry, but your point is ridiculous.

I hope you don't really believe poverty and poor health care in the US is the same as poverty in the third world. The average income in US dollars of some third world countires is $300 a YEAR.

But to expand on the trade aspect of this discussion . . .

For decades the WTO (World Trade Organization) organization had to protect the intellectual property rights of pharmaceutical companies. No one could make a drug that was still under patent in any country without having some nasty sanctions (penalities) put in place for doing it.

Some members of The World Trade Organization lobbied long and hard to make it easier for third world countries to get the drugs they need, at a cost they can afford, and relax some of the intellectual property rights. As of now, third world countries can import and sometimes produce generic drugs for domestic use.

http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/pres03_e/pr350_e.htm

Companies do R&D into drugs for first world countries that will pay. The average new prescription drug costs $800 million to produce and at least 5 years. If first world countries don't give patents and honor them drug companies will either a) stop selling/researching/investing in certain drugs or b) start nasty international legal battles to protect their investments.

Third world countires NEED these drugs cheaper and faster than first world patent laws will allow. So generally pharmaceutical companies manufacture for the third world or allow generics to be made in third world countries for use in those countries. Thats why AIDs dugs are even available in third world countries. If they intentionally sold those products to first world countries they undercut the companies that did all the R&D. It would undo a lot of the hard work the WTO did.

Howl

You just do not get the point do you. If a person from Africa gets a prescription for a medication and he has no money at all to get it filled then he cannot get the medication. If a poor person from the U.S. goes to a pharmacy with a prescription and the prescription costs $60 and he only has $50.00 do you think he is going to get that medication, of course not. So that U.S. citizen is in the same boat as the person from Africa. Again when it comes to healthcare it is quite similar for anyone no matter where they come from. Yes, the average income for a person in the U.S. is much higher than a person from a 3rd world country, but the cost of living and expenditures on healthcare in the U.S. are much higher than in a 3rd world country. A person in Afrca may make $300/yr he certainly cannot afford healthcare. A person in the U.S. makes above the poverty limit, lets say $15,000/yr., do you think that is enough for health insurance? No of course not, but yet he makes many times over the person from Africa. And don't say there are options in the U.S., because the gov limits the number of people who can get assistance and it has certain guidelines in which a person is qualified and alot of people do not qualify for assistance. In Texas alone thousands of children were kicked on the medicaid rolls this past year.

As far as how much drugs cost in R & R, yes it is expensive, but the government carries alot of that burden. The Pharma company does not always pay %100 of the costs. And if you look at certain pharma companies profit reports, they are doing very well. They are making their money back and then some. And I do not think drug companies allowed these generic drugs to be prodcued, alot of companies just ignored them and produced them anyway, just like Cipla. And pharama companies have fought legal battles to stop these companies from making generic drugs. remember the bottomline is money for the pharma company they do not do anything in the name of charity unless it is forced upon them or tehre is nothing they can do to stop the outside companies from making generic drugs. For example funds the Bush administration set aside for Africa in AIDS treatments had a stipulation that African companies cannot buy the generic forms of the drugs, so they had to pay full price.

The problem is the U.S. subsidizes the rest of the worlds medications. We pay the highest prices while Europe and other countries pay far less. The pharma companies are basically screwing the American consumer. We make up the shortfall, because the rest of the world is paying less.

As far as the WHO. Yes they do some good, but its all politics and anything they try it justs gets so watered down from baragaining, negotiating, and trying to satisfy all sides that most things that come out only have a marginal effect. Its not much different from the process of getting a bill out of the U.S. Congress. Too many lobbyists and special interest groups that need to be satisfied and the end result is the average person gets no relief. As far as the legislation is intended for 3rd world countries and no one else. What does it say about the WHO that poor people in Asia or Africa can get them but poor people from the U.S. or any other country cannot have access to them.

"People like to bow down to the letter of the law, but fail to honor the heart of the law."

I've been to the 3rd world and looked inside hospitals there Although now it's been many years, the situation is still far from equal for a whole variety of reasons, some economic, some political.

"Do the Right Thing. It will gratify some people and astound the rest." - Mark Twain

Anyone specialize in international patent/intellectual property rights law? Maybe if we ask Della nicely?

Howl

But is it illegal....yup, sure is. The two seizure letters I received also had a packet in it about why you shouldn't buy drugs from out of the country blah blah, but it never really said you would be in any legal trouble.

I imagine you'd be suspicious if the pills said "Valtrecks" on them! tee hee hee

muffin

"Everybody hurts sometimes.
So hold on...hold on...hold on...hold on.
Everybody hurts. You're not alone." ~ REM

Valcivir 1000mg 21Tablets £52.11

Acyclovir 400mg - 56 Tablets £21.94
Acyclovir 400mg - 112 Tablets £36.20
Acyclovir 400mg - 224 Tablets £66.37
Acyclovir 400mg - 336 Tablets £96.00

Acyclovir 800mg - 35 Tablets £21.94
Acyclovir 800mg - 70 Tablets £33.46
Acyclovir 800mg - 140 Tablets £83.38
Acyclovir 800mg - 210 Tablets £116.84

These prices seem reasonable, but they are expressed in pounds.

I have never taken medication for HSV1, but I have decided to as I get aleast 4 attacks per year although they are not normally severe.

Im fed up with this infection, more for psychological reasons than physical ones.