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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Steve Lokness who wrote (116012)	7/21/2009 1:11:33 PM
From: Cogito	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 541938

>>Boy do I appreciate your comments. You are talking of socialism here. One of the great incentives for even scientist by going into research is the huge returns possible if they hit on a cure. I don't think any government program can replicate that incentive - IOW, I think science pays the price if you move research to government. One of the reason cancer cures are so expensive is because of the small number of people taking those drugs/therapies? Any particular cancer might have but a small number of people who benefit - so drug companies to recoup their cost must charge a high figure. We have lots of government funded research now - lots! And I think we should have more yet. Obama has been very positive here. But still, it seems to me that the real progress comes out of these small biotechs funded by investors. One of the reason our health care is high by the way.<< Steve - A couple of comments. One, the number of new cancer cases annually in the US is over a million and a half. Two, I think most scientists would be happy to get a million or two as a reward for a few years' work, and pharma companies aren't paying them more than that. So the government can certainly afford to reward them amply, especially if overall healthcare costs can be reduced as a result. And yes, one of the big reasons healthcare costs so much in this county is that small biotechs are funded by investors who expect big returns. Once again, though, I think it would work out well to have the government reward the small biotechs if they get results, and to reward them more for inexpensive and effective treatments. - Allen