Doctors are concerned that stocks of anti-venom are running low around the world.
Dr. Richard Clark from UC San Diego Health is an expert in treating snake bite victims. He said, "I think the big deal about antivenoms and shortages in the world right now is that drug companies that make any kind of pharmaceutical product, only make it if it's profitable. And the problem with antivenoms is they tend to be fairly expensive to produce."
It's expensive to produce and there is not enough demand -- so little in fact, that the pharmaceutical company that produced antivenom products stopped making them in 2003. The Food and Drug Administration stepped in and extended the expiration dates of the last remaining supplies to last until June 2016. Clark says it will likely last even longer.
"So, there's still expired antivenom around that we know still works. One day that will be gone unless a company starts to make the coral snake antivenom again," said Clark.
In a case of a lifesaving drug, is it unreasonable to expect a pharmaceutical company to continue making it even though they would make higher profits elsewhere? Is this a good place for governmental incentives?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 24 2016, @08:37PM
Funny. All of those also seem to fit the definition of capitalist countries.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 24 2016, @08:44PM
That's why he said socialist, not communist.
OTOH the (neo-)liberals in the Dutch government have broken down lot of the social security last decade, so not so good example.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 24 2016, @08:49PM
And what he meant was welfare state, since private actors still own the means of production.
And yes, the US is a welfare state as well.