Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Too Many Chefs And Not Enough Indians


India's patent policies have long irked multinational drug companies. Only in 1995 2005 did India even recognize patents on new drugs. This meant that generic companies could set up shop there and churn out knock-off copies of successful drugs -- drugs which cost millions for someone else to invent -- with impunity. India is not a leader in the discovery of new drugs, however, they are fast becoming a leader in the manufacture of them, along with other BRIC nations. So far so good?

Novartis, India Clash Over Patent Laws

Some express outright hostility towards patent protection in general, arguing that it is essentially rent-seeking. They point out that billions of poor people deserve the fruits of the wealthy, and the human cost is too high to ignore. The problem with that stance (as I see it it) is its lack of a better model for drug discovery; everything being unequal, what is to prevent widespread piracy? Another problem aside from lack of access by the poor is the re-importation of cheaper drugs back into countries which can afford them but which increasingly refuse to pay for them. The problem will become worse before it becomes better.

35 comments:

test said...

Another problem aside from lack of access by the poor is the re-importation of cheaper drugs back into countries which can afford them but which increasingly refuse to pay for them.

I'm not sure how this is a problem. If Pharmas don't like what happens when they sell their drugs cheap let them stop selling their drugs cheap.

chickelit said...

Perhaps you missed my point about India not being a leader in innovation Marshall. Perhaps you don't care.

chickelit said...

How ironic: I cannot now go back to the WSJ article I linked.

Trooper York said...

Hey that is a good metaphor for this blog.

So many chefs but most them are not posting. What's up with that?

Only a couple of youse guys seem to be carrying all the weight.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

"Do we look like we need the money?"

-- Felix Leiter, Casino Royale (2006)

test said...

El Pollo Raylan said...
Perhaps you missed my point about India not being a leader in innovation Marshall. Perhaps you don't care.


Since reimportation is only a problem for the Pharmas who do innovate I took you to mean it is a separate problem facing US Pharmas. How is reimportation linked to India's patent law?

Chip Ahoy said...

The problem with that stance (as I see it it) is its lack of a better model for drug discovery

Yes.

That is a serious problem. I think if civilization finds a way to narrow the broad problem of drug discovery to something specific like the shape of a molecule then crowd sourcing can be part of a new model.

Video-game players have solved a molecular puzzle that stumped scientists for years, and those scientists say the accomplishment could point the way to crowdsourced cures for AIDS and other diseases.

Anonymous said...

I see that the Chief Shit Stirrer, Trooper York is still at it. What makes me think that he would love to see this blog implode? Could it be that he is jealous of the traffic this blog is getting? Why does he care who blogs here? Why would this be a concern to him?

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Chief Shit Stirrer.

Now, that's pretty clever!

Trooper York said...

I just enjoy some of the other people who have been quiet lately.

Pastafarian always puts up interesting stuff and I love when Synova talks about Science fiction.

Trooper York said...

You on the other hand Fiona are too invested in TOP and all that goes on there. Why don't you stay over there and enjoy how great it is now.

Or alternatively go fuck yourself.

Trooper York said...

What's the matter Fiona? Shrek isn't giving you enough so you have to hunt down comments all over the internet?

Icepick said...

Chief Shit Stirrer. Nice title, Trooper. I'm envious.

chickelit said...

How is reimportation linked to India's patent law?

India's patent laws dissuade American and European makers from trading in that country or even manufacturing in that country to lower costs. Manufacturing in cheaper countries is one way to combat the industry suicide of reimportation.

chickelit said...

Only a couple of youse guys seem to be carrying all the weight.

Lem keeps going off on these surprise road trips, leaving things to us. His last one was a retreat to save his soul or something. Who knows what he's up to now hanging around Greyhound stations.

chickelit said...

Here's a question for you Trooper: How is Lem like Meade?

chickelit said...

Trooper York said...
I just enjoy some of the other people who have been quiet lately.

Pastafarian always puts up interesting stuff and I love when Synova talks about Science fiction.


If I look at the blogger stats that I have access to, Pastafarian's posts always stir the most comments.

The Dude said...

How is fionamcgee like the Hindenburg?

One is a flaming Nazi gas bag, the other is just a balloon.

I just like writing that one - makes me laugh.

Methadras said...

El Pollo Raylan said...

Perhaps you missed my point about India not being a leader in innovation Marshall. Perhaps you don't care.


India much like China is a low class copy cat nation.

Methadras said...

Sixty Grit said...

How is fionamcgee like the Hindenburg?

One is a flaming Nazi gas bag, the other is just a balloon.

I just like writing that one - makes me laugh.


Where did Fionamcgee go by the way? Oh wait.

The Dude said...

Methadras wrote...

"Where did Fionamcgee go by the way? Oh wait."

Lakehurst, NJ, if we are lucky.

test said...

El Pollo Raylan said...
How is reimportation linked to India's patent law?

India's patent laws dissuade American and European makers from trading in that country or even manufacturing in that country to lower costs. Manufacturing in cheaper countries is one way to combat the industry suicide of reimportation.


I think this is stretching. The offshore manufacturing savings for drugs is small compared to recovery of R&D so it doesn't make much of an impact. Further there's nothing special about India when it comes to low cost production that other countries couldn't match. If it's that important manufacture in the Phillipines.

It is true that India's patent law prevents US and EU Pharmas from selling there, but I didn't object to that point. And if the US/EUs aren't selling there because of patent law there are no units to reimport from India. Maybe you meant knockoffs, but that's a different issue and they should be subject to embargo (i.e. not importable) based on US/EU patents.

rhhardin said...

The problem with intellectual property is that the argument for it is bogus.

People invent at the same rate regardless.

Podcast Michele Boldrin.

Everything you know is wrong.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

People invent at the same rate regardless.

Precisely. Which is why whatsername takes the Amazon money and laughs in her fanboys' scrunched up crying little faces.

Titus said...

Perhaps adding Troop to the list of bloggers here.

The bitch is funny as hell, witty, and I love him.

He could add some wonderful pics too!

tits

chickelit said...

The problem with intellectual property is that the argument for it is bogus.

People invent at the same rate regardless.


The problem with that argument is that invention and inventors are not patents. Patents are commodities which can be bought, sold, and licensed.

Many inventors don't understand their own patents, let alone the value of them to a company. This is why the rights of a patent assignee are total.

Inventors, like artists and writers, would keep on inventing and creating, but their work wouldn't inspire companies built around their ideas because everyone else would be free to use the same idea the minute it was conceived and reduced to practice. If anyone came up with a better way to make something, everybody would be free to use that new way too. That's just not human nature nor is it particularly good business sense.

There is a default system called trade secrecy which still exists and is making a come back. China was very good at regarding their silk trade and their porcelain making.

chickelit said...

How is Lem like Meade?

To answer my own question: The both take buses to Tea parties.

Titus said...

As oppessed to the profoundly boring, asexual and limp chick, who is historian of what everyone, everywhere posted throughout the entire interwebs. He can find whatever you have said, with pics, through 2001....boring. Chick needs a hobby, other than what someone posted in 2004 which still gets him semi erect.

How about going outside chick and throwing a ball to one of your offspring? Or even, gasp, fingering your wife who hasn't had sex in years?

Maybe you can be less anal and truly interesting.

And sdr a common white and a limp dick and haters of gays move on...we won loser.

Go for it chick. Reach for the stars...or chirpit some bullshit that noone really gives a shit about.

Trooper York said...

I don't want to be on the blog list. I am just happy that EBL is there.

Titus said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Titus said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
yashu said...

Oh, Titus. For some reason (hard to fathom at the moment) I often like you. Even some of your adolescent attempts to shock, épater les bourgeois here (you're the Miley Cyrus performance of this place).

Most of the time, I'm glad that you're one of the characters here.

But you're so un-fab when you're a bitter queen.

There's nothing glam about the playground bully schtick. Or the mean drunk. In my experience, that kind of thing reeks of self-loathing.

You're right about Trooper. You could learn something from him, about good-natured roasting of others. With wit, not unmitigated bile & viciousness. You're capable of that sometimes, yourself.

This stuff is just bipolar WTF.

PS I see some of the relevant comments were administrator-deleted; but my message to you still stands.

chickelit said...

I guess Titus is just sticking up for the Indians.

chickelit said...

PS I see some of the relevant comments were administrator-deleted; but my message to you still stands.

The two I deleted were directed at Palladian.

yashu said...

The two I deleted were directed at Palladian.

Yes, I know, I read them. I'm glad you deleted them (though generally I'm biased against deletions).