Mark Cuban's Firm to Import Syphilis Drug Amid US Shortage

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Bloomberg

July 17, 2024 at 12:59 PM EDT
Updated on July 17, 2024 at 1:57 PM EDT


US health authorities are allowing Mark Cuban’s drug venture to import a syphilis treatment as a national shortage of the medication persists and cases of the deadly disease soar.

Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. is distributing the medication, a form of penicillin made by Portugal-based Laboratorios Atral SA, according to a letter posted today on the Food and Drug Administration’s website.

Health officials are especially concerned about the shortage because syphilis infections are skyrocketing. In 2022, the last year for which data are available, cases were the highest they’ve been since 1950. The government set up a task force and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s chief medical officer called the situation “heartbreaking.”

The drug, penicillin G benzathine, has been in short supply since April of last year, forcing health care providers to treat some patients using an alternative antibiotic that is less convenient, since it requires weeks of pills.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-17/mark-cuban-s-firm-to-import-penicillin-form-in-us-shortage?srnd=homepage-americas

[Faux pas]

1. Yikes

wonder if the "others" will add to their 2025 manifesto not allowing people to get VD treatments

[SpankMe]

2. I bet Elon is happy about this. n/t

[Ray Bruns]

3. So how many vials are being sent to Mar-a-lardo? Or is that delivery by the case?

[gab13by13]

4. TSF probably caused the shortage

[Backseat Driver]

5. Thank you unknown "health authorities" under Joe Biden's administration!

FDA? CDC? Surgeon General? DeLoy's postal regulations? LOL - Why can't they be identified...

[StClone]

6. Anonymous so Pro-Syphilis ReCons won't DOX/SWAT Biden officials pushing "fake" cures.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. That falls under FDA

but that and many other antibiotics and yes, vaccines, are considered "loss leaders" by big pharma so they don't want to spend the resources making them. This has been the case for decades. The COVID vaccines (and antivirals) were the exception to the "rule" because of how severe and global the pandemic was (and they are really making $$$ now for those after getting their initial boost from guaranteed $$ from the federal government during the height of the pandemic).