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The Truth Behind Drug Development
Truthisscary
In a recent episode of the TV show Scorpion, there was a story line about the children of former drug company executives being targeted as victims of biological weapons. It turns out the company had a drug trial to treat a rare respiratory disease. The drug was working successfully for some of the participants when the company suddenly pulled the plug. It turns out that the Research and Development department, of which the targets had been executives, determined that the disease was so rare that the company couldn’t make enough money from the drug sales.
While the Scorpion storyline seemed far-fetched, and probably exaggerated for dramatic effect, it’s actually not far from the truth.
Drug companies develop the drugs and devices that make it possible for diabetics to live normal lives, and for people with cancer to have a chance at life. They make the antibiotics that can make the difference between recovering from a minor respiratory infection and ending up in the hospital on tubes and machines. However, for all the good they do, they are also in the business of making money. And sometimes, money wins.
Money and Drug Development
One thing you might have noticed is that all the illnesses and diseases that I mentioned above are fairly widespread. There are very few people in the world, especially in developed countries, who have not had bronchitis at least once in their lives. There are over 29.1 million people with diabetes in the U.S. alone, and the American Cancer Society estimates more than 1.5 million new cancer diagnoses for 2014. The prevalence of these diseases means there’s a tremendous need for drug treatments; it also means there’s a tremendous profit margin, so drug companies work tirelessly to create better and more efficient drugs to treat them. Unfortunately, less common diseases don’t get the same level of attention.
Take Ebola. The 2014 outbreak in Liberia and other West African countries, brought the disease to the world’s attention, but it was the handful of cases in the United States that got people talking about a vaccine and treatment. The problem is that the 2014 outbreak wasn’t the first instance of Ebola in that region. In fact, they have happened several times in the past, and always with deadly consequences. Certainly, with that in mind, drug companies should be clamoring to make a vaccine or a cure.
However, as deadly as Ebola may be it’s also fairly rare and isolated, and the countries that get them are relatively poor, which means that Ebola captures a very small share of the market. To a research and development person, Ebola is not as good of an investment as cholesterol medications, so Ebola gets shelved.
Money and Drug Releases
In the United States, all new drugs have to go through the FDA for approval. This is often a long process involving lots of paperwork from the drug company proving that the drug is effective, and listing all of the side-effects, drug interactions, and other issues. The company usually has to perform several animal and laboratory tests before they can even begin to test it on humans, and they have to test it on people to get approval.
However, the length of the process can vary depending on the type of drug. For example, the antibiotics Cipro, Levoquel, and Avilox are all similar to each other which means a drug company might be able to take a few shortcuts when it comes to testing them on animals and human trials because they have already done the legwork with a similar formulation. This means they can get the drug to market faster, and start making money.
Unfortunately, this can also lead to problems down the line. For example, Cipro is now the subject of a lawsuit because it was discovered that the drug causes peripheral nerve damage. There was also the case of Fen Phen, a diet drug that showed promise in human trials, but also caused heart valve damage when it was introduced to the population.
Cipro and Fen Phen are only two examples. It’s not uncommon for prescription drugs to be rushed to market, only to have them left unmonitored until they start harming, and even killing people. If you need specific Cipro lawsuit information, consult with lawyers with expertise on the subject.
Conclusion
As you can see, the scenario in Scorpion is not so far-fetched after all. At their heart, drug companies are companies and profit rules. Does this mean that drug companies are universally evil? No. Drug companies can do a lot of good, and they have saved a lot of lives. The problem is that so long as profit is the driving force, there are so many more lives that will fall through the cracks.
Source: http://truthisscary.com/2014/11/the-truth-behind-drug-development/
