A joint study between Yale University, King’s College Hospital in London and Doctors Without Borders found a single shot could be made for just 89 cents.
Engineered Biologics involve having to make special cell cultures off engineered specimens so it’s a research forward cost. The actual production is cheap once the cultures are made.
I think if you look deep enough you’ll find public funding in a lot of these projects like with Humira, which was funded by the UK Government and is now absurdly expensive as fuck
It’s a pretty simple peptide, there’s multiple companies in China that make grey market versions.
The scarcity seems to come from the government enforced monopoly, only a single company is officially allowed to make it and they don’t have enough machines, I imagine getting more machines takes time.
Governments could issue compulsory licences for shortages like this, but they never do.
I personally know 3 people - who are not diabetic - who are on this drug to lose weight. It’s anecdotal evidence for sure, but it makes me think that people are seeing this as a miracle weight loss drug. Which is probably causing the shortages.
The drug is definitely over prescribed I am sure, but surely using it as preventative treatment before the person becomes diabetic is long term better than waiting for them to become diabetic, right?
I don’t really know anything about the drug but I know it has helped some people who really need it. It is a shame it is being locked behind patents and shortages.
I’ve heard about shortages of the drug. Does anybody know how hard it actually is to make or if they’re manufacturing scarcity as well?
Engineered Biologics involve having to make special cell cultures off engineered specimens so it’s a research forward cost. The actual production is cheap once the cultures are made.
I think if you look deep enough you’ll find public funding in a lot of these projects like with Humira, which was funded by the UK Government and is now absurdly expensive as fuck
According to the article they’re spending $17 billion to increase production.
If you had goose that was laying gold eggs, wouldn’t you try to hatch some?
It’s a pretty simple peptide, there’s multiple companies in China that make grey market versions.
The scarcity seems to come from the government enforced monopoly, only a single company is officially allowed to make it and they don’t have enough machines, I imagine getting more machines takes time.
Governments could issue compulsory licences for shortages like this, but they never do.
I personally know 3 people - who are not diabetic - who are on this drug to lose weight. It’s anecdotal evidence for sure, but it makes me think that people are seeing this as a miracle weight loss drug. Which is probably causing the shortages.
The drug is definitely over prescribed I am sure, but surely using it as preventative treatment before the person becomes diabetic is long term better than waiting for them to become diabetic, right?
I don’t really know anything about the drug but I know it has helped some people who really need it. It is a shame it is being locked behind patents and shortages.