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  • Vaccine to cure diabetes to start trials

    Video: Researchers Work on Diabetes Vaccine
    Scientists hope to start strictly monitored trials next year.
    If I understand this correctly the vaccine is given to kids after they've developed Type 1 Diabetes. It's designed to retrain a child's immune system so it will stop attacking B cells.

    I think one fact lost in the current health care debate is just how fast longterm costs will drop once diseases like diabetes are curable. Americans probably spend hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars per year on Diabetes related illness. Even if this vaccine is pricey it will cost 100 fold less than a lifetime of medical expenses and lost productivity.

    The same holds true for Scoliosis. Back braces cost something like $3,000+ each. Dr. Moreau's medicine will likely be more affordable and 10x more effective. A scoliosis cure will also result in less fatalities, health problems and lost productivity down the road.

    On the surface advanced medical technology may sound expensive but if it cures chronic illness it pays for itself many times over. It might be comparable to giant construction equipment. A million dollar digger might sound expensive but it's significantly more affordable than handing 100 guys shovels.
    Last edited by Dingo; 11-07-2009, 12:12 PM.

  • #2
    Originally posted by Dingo View Post
    Even if this vaccine is pricey it will cost 100 fold less than a lifetime of medical expenses and lost productivity.
    I agree with you but you might be suprised at just how pricey the vaccine (if ever approved) is. I have been following the recent emergency use authorization (EUA) the FDA granted for an IV theraputic (Peramivir) to treat H1N1. One dose of the (still experimental and not proven) drug is about $2500 (dont remember the exact price, but that is close). Doctors are likely to prescribe several doses/patient.

    Not sure exactly the rational behind setting the price so high, but I believe it is intended to reflect a reasonable return on developmental costs. It takes a TON of money to bring a drug to market. The majority of attempts fail.
    Of course, in the case of peramivir, if it gets a patient out of the critical care ward one day earlier, the cost/benefit becomes clear. From a patient perspective, I'd pay anything to save the life of a loved one.

    Whatever the outcome of a new health system, it is important that they not remove the financial motivation to develop new drugs. Yes, big pharma is fat and happy, but there are a lot of dedicated researchers toiling in a lab someplace in the hopes of developing an effective treatment for many ailments. While there are altruistic rewards for their dedication, a bit of $ can be motivating too.

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    • #3
      expensive medicine

      I agree with you but you might be suprised at just how pricey the vaccine (if ever approved) is. I have been following the recent emergency use authorization (EUA) the FDA granted for an IV theraputic (Peramivir) to treat H1N1. One dose of the (still experimental and not proven) drug is about $2500 (dont remember the exact price, but that is close). Doctors are likely to prescribe several doses/patient.
      Ouch! That's probably because it's new. Theoretically speaking drugs become cheaper the longer they remain on the market.

      Whatever the outcome of a new health system, it is important that they not remove the financial motivation to develop new drugs. Yes, big pharma is fat and happy, but there are a lot of dedicated researchers toiling in a lab someplace in the hopes of developing an effective treatment for many ailments. While there are altruistic rewards for their dedication, a bit of $ can be motivating too.
      The fact that the bills floating around D.C. are roughly 2,000 pages does not give me a sense of optimism about health care "reform". If the history of Congress is any guide we are looking at 5 pages of health reform and 1,995 pages of carve outs for special interest groups.
      Last edited by Dingo; 11-07-2009, 04:36 PM.

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