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Question. Why is it that in the United States, (Original Post) Uncle Joe Feb 2022 OP
The man who synthezied the first analog I_UndergroundPanther Feb 2022 #1
It's not Congress, it is republicans. We need to start calling them out. onecaliberal Feb 2022 #2
Me too. Both sides isn't real. betsuni Feb 2022 #5
If you don't have drug coverage, I'd buy Humalog from GoodRX, etc., at less than $50. Hoyt Feb 2022 #3
If you do have drug coverage, how much will the insurance company Uncle Joe Feb 2022 #4
Most of it. Hoyt Feb 2022 #6
So the Pharm company gets their money either directly from you if you are uninsured, or indirectly progressoid Feb 2022 #10
Do you expect the Pharm Co to do it for free? We'll pay for it, even under single payer. Hoyt Feb 2022 #11
Of course not. I never implied that. progressoid Feb 2022 #13
Yet, most of us vaccinated are pretty safe thanks to those in your last box. Hoyt Feb 2022 #15
What misinformation on insulin? progressoid Feb 2022 #16
Check 2021 and 2022 for Humalog, which is in Sander's misinformation. Hoyt Feb 2022 #17
Humalog 75/25 vial (10 mL; 100 iU/mL) $355.51 per vial progressoid Feb 2022 #19
You need to read your linked article. You aren't even trying. Hoyt Feb 2022 #20
Oh and that last link doesn't speak well of pfizer et al either. progressoid Feb 2022 #18
This message was self-deleted by its author progressoid Feb 2022 #9
Another friction is prescription only IbogaProject Feb 2022 #7
Love the "common sense" approach Bernie uses. KS Toronado Feb 2022 #8
Post like these make me so damn pissed off! BigmanPigman Feb 2022 #12
My daughter just bought an EpiPen 2-pack for $400, after insurance. New year, deductable not met. TheBlackAdder Feb 2022 #14
Where is Bernie getting his tax rate information??? former9thward Feb 2022 #21
I imagine Bernie got it from Pro Publica but that's just speculation on my part Uncle Joe Feb 2022 #22
... betsuni Feb 2022 #23
Jimmy Carter thinks the US is an Oligarchy. progressoid Feb 2022 #25
More examples of Predatory Capitalism. Emile Feb 2022 #24

I_UndergroundPanther

(12,450 posts)
1. The man who synthezied the first analog
Mon Feb 7, 2022, 09:10 PM
Feb 2022

Of modern day insulin
said if pharmaceutical companies wanted to use his patent to make insulin they could charge no more than 8 bucks a vial.

Patent ran out now its 300 bucks.

onecaliberal

(32,471 posts)
2. It's not Congress, it is republicans. We need to start calling them out.
Mon Feb 7, 2022, 09:18 PM
Feb 2022

I’m sick of “Congress” getting the blame. It’s not both sides. Every bad thing is because of republicans.

betsuni

(25,122 posts)
5. Me too. Both sides isn't real.
Mon Feb 7, 2022, 09:27 PM
Feb 2022

The myth that all dysfunction in politics is because of money making both sides corrupt.

 

Hoyt

(54,770 posts)
3. If you don't have drug coverage, I'd buy Humalog from GoodRX, etc., at less than $50.
Mon Feb 7, 2022, 09:19 PM
Feb 2022

Still not ideal for many people.

Really wish Sanders wouild find better research staff.

progressoid

(49,824 posts)
10. So the Pharm company gets their money either directly from you if you are uninsured, or indirectly
Mon Feb 7, 2022, 11:06 PM
Feb 2022

from you (and your co-workers) via premiums, or via the taxpayer via medicaid/care.

Pretty good deal for them.

progressoid

(49,824 posts)
13. Of course not. I never implied that.
Mon Feb 7, 2022, 11:48 PM
Feb 2022

But it's no secret that they are gouging the American consumer.


- The three insulin companies targeted the United States for price increases, and Medicare lost out on more than $16 billion in savings. For years, these companies provided private Medicare Part D plans with significantly smaller rebates than those secured by other federal health care programs that are allowed to negotiate directly with drug companies. Information obtained by the Committee reveals that if Medicare Part D plans had secured the same discounts as other federal health care programs for three frequently used insulin products—Humalog, Lantus, and NovoLog—Medicare could have saved more than $16.7 billion from 2011 through 2017.

- The three insulin companies have engaged in strategies to maintain monopoly pricing and defend against competition from biosimilars. These strategies include manipulating the patent system and marketing exclusivities granted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), pursuing tactics to switch patients to new formulations of their products before losing exclusivity, and engaging in “shadow pricing”—raising prices in lockstep with competitors—which keeps prices high.
https://oversight.house.gov/news/press-releases/chairwoman-maloney-releases-comprehensive-staff-report-culminating-the-committee


A U.S. Senate Finance Committee staff report released this year stated, "Eli Lilly reported spending $395 million on (research and development) costs for Humalog, Humulin, and Basaglar between 2014 and 2018, during which time the company spent nearly $1.5 billion on sales and marketing expenses for its insulins."



Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna alone make $1,000 profit every second.


Etc etc etc
 

Hoyt

(54,770 posts)
15. Yet, most of us vaccinated are pretty safe thanks to those in your last box.
Tue Feb 8, 2022, 12:08 AM
Feb 2022

Look, I’m for controlling drug prices, even to the point it starts impacting innovation.

But we are talking about misinformation on insulin. Don’t think misinformation helps us solve problems.

progressoid

(49,824 posts)
16. What misinformation on insulin?
Tue Feb 8, 2022, 12:29 AM
Feb 2022


Even GoodRX sees it. It's easy money.

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progressoid

(49,824 posts)
19. Humalog 75/25 vial (10 mL; 100 iU/mL) $355.51 per vial
Tue Feb 8, 2022, 12:45 AM
Feb 2022

Humalog 50/50 vial (10 mL; 100 iU/mL) $390.23 per vial

Humulin 70/30 vial (10 mL; 100 iU/mL) $182.18 per vial

Dec 2021 https://www.talktomira.com/post/how-much-does-insulin-cost-with-and-without-insurance

progressoid

(49,824 posts)
18. Oh and that last link doesn't speak well of pfizer et al either.
Tue Feb 8, 2022, 12:38 AM
Feb 2022

It's nice that our government can afford to pay them tons of $ to vaccinate us. Not so good for the rest of the world though.

New figures from the Peoples Vaccine Alliance reveal that the companies behind two of the most successful COVID-19 vaccines —Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna— are making combined profits of $65,000 every minute. The figures based on the latest company reports are released as CEOs from pharmaceutical industry meet for the annual STAT summit —the equivalent of a ‘Big Pharma Davos’— from 16-18 November.

These companies have sold the majority of doses to rich countries, leaving low-income countries out in the cold. Pfizer and BioNTech have delivered less than one percent of their total vaccine supplies to low-income countries, while Moderna has delivered just 0.2 percent. Meanwhile 98 percent of people in low income countries have not been fully vaccinated.


Granted this is from last November but many countries are still struggling to get even above 10% vaccinated.

Response to Uncle Joe (Reply #4)

IbogaProject

(2,692 posts)
7. Another friction is prescription only
Mon Feb 7, 2022, 10:32 PM
Feb 2022

Insulin used to be able to be brought without a prescription after a quick double check with the pharmacist, now insulin is prescription only and the script has to be from the last 6 months for insurance reimbursement. These frictions didn't used to exist. The recent governor put in place an expensive and cumbersome online prescription system for everything. That platform is only used for controlled substances anywhere else it makes it so I can't get a paper script to carry with me in NYC, heaven forbid they just made it so hard drugs can't be done via paper, but no my life saving medicine is hostage at a national chain, as I can't risk having it at a much nicer local place.

BigmanPigman

(51,430 posts)
12. Post like these make me so damn pissed off!
Mon Feb 7, 2022, 11:28 PM
Feb 2022

I know this, you know this, Bernie knows this but the majority of Americans do not and therefore they will continue to vote for asses in the GQP Congress who will do them more harm than good.

former9thward

(31,798 posts)
21. Where is Bernie getting his tax rate information???
Tue Feb 8, 2022, 02:08 AM
Feb 2022

The 24% marginal rate does not even begin until $86,000. To have an average of a 24% rate you would have to be making around $250,000 a year. Is Bernie stating nurses make 250k a year? And where did Bernie get the private tax return information for the "25 richest people in the United States". The IRS does not release that info. Did someone illegally leak it to him?

Uncle Joe

(58,107 posts)
22. I imagine Bernie got it from Pro Publica but that's just speculation on my part
Tue Feb 8, 2022, 02:21 AM
Feb 2022


ProPublica Estimates that Richest 25 Individuals Pay 3.4% Tax Rate

Okay, we knew that before...but now it's backed up by 15+ years' worth of IRS tax return data from thousands of America's wealthiest individuals, made public yesterday by investigative journalism outlet ProPublica.

ProPublica estimates that America's richest 25 people paid a cumulative $13.6 billion in income taxes between 2014 and 2018, a span during which their collective wealth increased $400+ billion, for a "true tax rate" that was just 3.4%. Paying the lowest rates were Warren Buffett (0.1%), Jeff Bezos (0.98%), Michael Bloomberg (1.3%), and Elon Musk (3.27%).

Reminder: Most billionaires' wealth comes from assets like stock and property. Those gains aren't taxed until they are sold.
Big picture: Compared to the broader population, billionaires' tax bills have not kept pace with their growing bank accounts. For every $100 gained, Bezos paid just $1.09 while the typical US household paid $160.

(snip)


https://www.morningbrew.com/daily/stories/2021/06/08/propublica-estimates-richest-25-individuals-pay-34-tax-rate

betsuni

(25,122 posts)
23. ...
Tue Feb 8, 2022, 07:25 AM
Feb 2022

Congress won't "take on" Big Pharma (both sides) (still don't know what "take on" means)
"Corrupt political system" (both sides)
Billionaires (no billionaires are progressive, all campaign donations to Democrats are corrupting, both sides)
Oligarchy (how is the U.S. an oligarchy?)
Repeat "billionaire" (bad, millionaires okay)
"Radical" as if Democrats aren't the party of of taxing the rich (not a radical idea any more than universal health care and all the other progressive Democratic policies are)

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