posted on October 25, 2001 06:51:38 AM newWASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Bayer Corp. reached a $95 million agreement to supply up to 300 million tablets of the antibiotic Cipro to the U.S. government. Cipro is the only drug approved for treatment of pulmonary anthrax.
Under the terms of the deal, the U.S. government will pay 95 cents per tablet for an initial order of 100 million tablets. That compares to the previously discounted price of $1.77 a tablet paid by the U.S.
Now I understand that Bayer developed the product & must recoup the monies spent of R&D, however, I find it repulsive that the American people are facing a bioterrorism attack with our chances of survival depending on this drug and the PTB are negotiating the price! IMO Bayer's greed is disgusting. Sure, the product costs, but in any of their projections on investment return did they ever forecast the need for this volume, and therefore their ability to sell such volume? This is not a game! Cipro is not the "hottest" new item that everyone just has to have like pokemon or power rangers etc. The ability to get this drug may mean life or death to some. But yet the government negotiates?...I think the time has come to stop this game playing. Strip the patent, allow other drug manufacturers to produce the product and let's make sure that we have enough to go around.
I'd like to know what you all think of this situation?
posted on October 25, 2001 07:13:52 AM new
Doxycycline was just approved by the FDA for anthrax treatment.
Other antibiotics can be used, their makers just didn't go through the FDA process for that specific treatment approval. The FDA approval process moves at a glacier like speed. You have the right to an informed opinion -Harlan Ellison
posted on October 25, 2001 07:28:05 AM new
Ummm...Bayer isn't an American company, it's German. Our government would have no right to do what you suggested.
posted on October 25, 2001 07:39:44 AM newThompson had threatened to seek congressional approval to suspend Bayer's patent on Cipro if he couldn't reach a deal. Bayer's patent on Cipro runs out in late 2003....It's a US patent.
posted on October 25, 2001 08:02:03 AM new
I don't think Bayer's "greed" is disgusting at all. We are a very wealthy country and our government can and should pay fair market price for it, whatever that is.
