drug funding....

drug research funding....  needs to be taken OUT of the hands of free enterprise....  and placed into the hands of non-profits....  is it really free enterprise afterall....  a company creates a drug....  and then they have sole ownership of that drug.... for many many years....  twenty fucking years....  is that really free enterprise....  

drug companies make the arguement....  that they need the patent....  in order to recoupe their tremendous research and development costs....  and....  you know what.... it is a good point....  a really good point....  would anyone invest in drug research without the patent....  would we have any breakthrough drugs....  without the patent....  probably not....  so....  their point is valid....  in the current system....  the road taken....  the approach taken....  might be the best approach....

but....  eye ask....  is this the best system....  when....  someone comes up with a drug....  that people need....  that people MUST have....  or they will die....  is this the best system....  when many people who need the drug....  cannot afford the drug....  is this the best system....  if there is a drug that can cure people available....  and....  people still die....  because they cannot afford it....  

have you read my chapter on compassionate conservatism....  in that chapter....  eye recommend a new category of non-profits....  non-profit categories that both the democrats and republicans agree on....  that will qualify for a tax credit....

well...  drug research is a perfect candidate for this new category of non-profits....  if you take drug research out of the hands of private industry....  and you put it in the hands of non-profits....  when a drug becomes available....  it can be sold at the cost to manufacture....  without the need to recoupe research costs....  because the cost of research came from donations....  in this system....  the price of a drug....  that costs thousands of dollars today....  could be reduced to tens of dollars tomorrow....  so that everyone can afford insulin....  or the latest hiv drug....  or....  or....  or....  

one might say....  not as much research will be done....  if the funding comes from donations....  after all....  the global revenue for the pharmaceutical industry in nearly one and a half trillion dollars....  and....  total global donations are less than a trillion dollars....  so....  perhaps they make a good point....  however....  remember....  the global pharmaceutical revenue is based on extrememly high pricing....  and....  with compassionate conservatism....  with a tax credit....  eye expect the global donations to increase significantly....  at least double what it is today....  so....  there might be as much research as today in the new system....  there might even be more.....