Lexapro

[jobob]

Fair enough.

I didn't address the memos you quoted since I didn't have my back brace on yet and my husband was nagging me to either put it on or go lay down (heh, laziness won, I chose the latter).

And I know you have a brain. I just wanted to point out that some here work in the pharma industry. Now, that said, I don't work in marketing which might be where some of you're issues are coming from. And I don't know jack about marketing.

I work in patents, which has is own issues, some of which I've come to question. The exclusivity that comes from patents, for instance. Sometimes I wonder if that's such a great idea. Drugs under patent cost a bundle, as opposed to generic drugs (for which the patents have expired). But then, how will the company that develops the patented drug in the first place recoup its cost and make a profit to make it worth the company's while? Many drugs, theoretically promising ones, don't make it past clinical trials and its a very large investment for each one so the pharma co's need some way to make up for not only the cost of developing the drug that is actually marketed, but all of the other drugs that never got that far but that they still spent a bundle on. Oh yeah, and have a reason to exist in this day & age (i.e., make profits, at least eventually) .

So that's where the exclusivity from patents comes in. If the pharma co didn't have that exclusivity period (roughly 20 years starting from when the patent application was filed, give or take a few years for a number of reasons [Ed. to add - the exclusivity period is way less than 20 years once the patented drug finally reaches the market btw]), then another company would be able to make and sell that drug right away without having to do the background research & development work, so they'd be able to sell it for a much lower cost and the original pharma co would never make anything off of their original investment.

But that doesn't help the consumers' bottom line much. What's the answer? Gah. Corporations vs public funding? I suppose if it were all government funded then there would be no need to cover costs and no profit motive (and Yes I'm laughing at myself as I'm typing this). Of course then taxpayers would be funding the pharma industry (waaay more than it does now) which would probably mean an increase in taxes and I shall not go there.

Complicated stuff, unfortunately.