loriusgarrulus Posted April 10, 2020 Report Share Posted April 10, 2020 https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma...to-hiv-med-kaletra-amid-covid-19-tests-reportAbbvie has dropped its patent rights to allow other companies to make generic versions of Kaletra. A drug with potential to treat Coronavirus. It is currently used in treating HIV.They have surrendered the chance to make billions if the drug is found to be successful in treating C19 and some of its HIV market for the drug. Nice one 👍🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7daysinaweek Posted April 10, 2020 Report Share Posted April 10, 2020 (edited) Big Pharma I suspect they will still make plenty. Pharmaceutical companies for years have been asked to increase the research and development into finding better antibiotics for infections which kill millions per year, however as a business why capture an individual throughout life a handful of times on a prescription for antibiotics. Capture every individual yearly for a whole life possibly with a vaccination, now that is more lucrative. Stepping up to the plate is not always about ethics in all cases, the odd pharmaceutical is not for profit but not many. Food for thought. atb 7diaw Edited April 10, 2020 by 7daysinaweek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted April 10, 2020 Report Share Posted April 10, 2020 Excellent news and a fabulous gesture. In contradiction, on the local news last night a company which was producing hand sanitiser was bemoaning the fact he was struggling to get the raw ingredients. The manufacturers of one ( ethanol ? ) had increased its cost by 400%. Nowt like cashing in! I may have heard it wrong, but that’s what I believe it was stated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raja Clavata Posted April 10, 2020 Report Share Posted April 10, 2020 1 hour ago, loriusgarrulus said: https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma...to-hiv-med-kaletra-amid-covid-19-tests-reportAbbvie has dropped its patent rights to allow other companies to make generic versions of Kaletra. A drug with potential to treat Coronavirus. It is currently used in treating HIV.They have surrendered the chance to make billions if the drug is found to be successful in treating C19 and some of its HIV market for the drug. Nice one 👍🙂 Chapeau! In times of extreme stress and strain companies, much like individuals, show their true colours. Scullys point below highlights this. I don't know the details but suspect dropping the patent doesn't mean they lose all rights, maybe through licensing and if so who would grudge them that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loriusgarrulus Posted April 10, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2020 17 minutes ago, Raja Clavata said: Chapeau! In times of extreme stress and strain companies, much like individuals, show their true colours. Scullys point below highlights this. I don't know the details but suspect dropping the patent doesn't mean they lose all rights, maybe through licensing and if so who would grudge them that... You licence drugs out when they are still under patent for a licence fee. They have dropped the patent completely, so anyone can make it without paying them. There are companies that specialise in making generic drugs once the patent expires on the original pharmaceutical companies drug. They can market them cheaper because they haven't had the millions in development and research costs and only pick proven drugs there is a good market for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raja Clavata Posted April 10, 2020 Report Share Posted April 10, 2020 Just now, loriusgarrulus said: You licence drugs out when they are still under patent for a licence fee. They have dropped the patent completely, so anyone can make it without paying them. There are companies that specialise in making generic drugs once the patent expires on the original pharmaceutical companies drug. They can market them cheaper because they haven't had the millions in development and research costs and only pick proven drugs there is a good market for. I thought the licence whilst under patent was discretionary unless a government imposes a compulsory patent licence. Anyway fair play to them. The point about avoiding R&D costs applies across various industries 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLAGUE Posted April 10, 2020 Report Share Posted April 10, 2020 (edited) Don't know how upto date this is - pulled from a link to WHO. Clinical trials are underway in for lopinavir/ritonavir and of remdesivir. Bruce Aylward, an assistant director-general of the WHO, has stated "there is only one drug right now that we think may have real efficacy and that's remdesivir." Edited April 10, 2020 by PLAGUE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Heron Posted April 11, 2020 Report Share Posted April 11, 2020 Full credit to them they did not have to do this what a lot of people think that it is only about the profit what they forget is the millions of pounds spent on the research and testing and in this case probably many years in development and the installation of the plant and machinery to make it also you might make a very small successful test amount in the lab but to make the larger quantities is more difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loriusgarrulus Posted April 11, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2020 1 hour ago, The Heron said: Full credit to them they did not have to do this what a lot of people think that it is only about the profit what they forget is the millions of pounds spent on the research and testing and in this case probably many years in development and the installation of the plant and machinery to make it also you might make a very small successful test amount in the lab but to make the larger quantities is more difficult. Normal time scale for a drug from start to getting on the market is 10-12 years. That is because they wait for the results from one test before they start the next stage. You can run tests in parallel to fast track it, but if the drug fails at any stage that's double the waste of time and resources. For every drug getting on the market thousands don't for varying reasons. Some tests can run for 2 years or longer and cost hundreds of thousands. If a drug that is on the market already for something else looks like it might work for COVID-19 it means most of the existing safety testing is done. They will need to fully check it works and is safe to give COVID-19 sufferers and doesn't react adversely with other drug therapies being given, but that can be done a lot quicker than starting from scratch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted April 11, 2020 Report Share Posted April 11, 2020 16 hours ago, Scully said: Excellent news and a fabulous gesture. In contradiction, on the local news last night a company which was producing hand sanitiser was bemoaning the fact he was struggling to get the raw ingredients. The manufacturers of one ( ethanol ? ) had increased its cost by 400%. Nowt like cashing in! I may have heard it wrong, but that’s what I believe it was stated. Ethanol is common alcohol, any distiller can make it, that's what we drink Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted April 11, 2020 Report Share Posted April 11, 2020 Fair enough. The company concerned aren’t distillers, they make sanitiser, and were having to buy it in at a grossly inflated price according to the article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted April 11, 2020 Report Share Posted April 11, 2020 18 hours ago, loriusgarrulus said: https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma...to-hiv-med-kaletra-amid-covid-19-tests-reportAbbvie has dropped its patent rights to allow other companies to make generic versions of Kaletra. A drug with potential to treat Coronavirus. It is currently used in treating HIV.They have surrendered the chance to make billions if the drug is found to be successful in treating C19 and some of its HIV market for the drug. Nice one 👍🙂 Its a good business move too, if it works on the virus the prospects for the future of the drug is massive. I don't think they have "dropped" their patent rights, I think they will have suspended them. They would have trouble getting all the investors to agree to just waving goodbye to their life savings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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