HARRIET WASHINGTON

The major killer diseases such as malaria and sleeping sickness are not contracted by Americans, and America is the only large country in the world where the Governments allow the drug companies to charge such high prices and make such huge profits. So any drug that Americans might pay for is a better potential profit generator than one that would be critical to the lives of millions where the governments to preserve lives would force the prices down or allow other companies to also make the drug. See {628648} for other factors affecting drug company priorities.

Others while conceding that corporate involvement accounted for the extremely high costs of American pharmaceuticals and medical devices and equipment, argue that the companies have produced many innovations in addition to the research the government has paid for, and would not agree with Washington that the involvement was all “disastrous.”

The “inflated prices” refers to the fact Americans pay more for pharmaceuticals than any other country in the world as the American government allows the companies to charge any amounts while other governments either negotiate or mandate much lower prices.

The major killer diseases such as malaria and sleeping sickness are not contracted by Americans, and America is the only large country in the world where the Governments allow the drug companies to charge such high prices and make such huge profits. So any drug that Americans might pay for is a better potential profit generator than one that would be critical to the lives of millions where the governments to preserve lives would force the prices down or allow other companies to also make the drug. See {628648} for other factors affecting drug company priorities.

The “inflated prices” refers to the fact Americans pay more for pharmaceuticals than any other country in the world as the American government allows the companies to charge any amounts while other governments either negotiate or mandate much lower prices.

Others while conceding that corporate involvement accounted for the extremely high costs of American pharmaceuticals and medical devices and equipment, argue that the companies have produced many innovations in addition to the research the government has paid for, and would not agree with Washington that the involvement was all “disastrous.”