This is so interesting. I’ve been saying this for so long - the medical industry is just that. An industry. My personal belief is that sometimes things just boil down to profit margins instead of actually centring human care like it should be. There’s pros and cons to this idea of transplantation as a business model, but also that’s life in general.
Thank you @A_Ray - what were your findings/thoughts re this report? In my view, we need the biopharma industry to take risks to research and develop new drugs for us to survive. I actually would love for more for profit companies to join the battle for better drugs for all of us!
My thoughts are that it is a mixed bag. Profit is a great motivator to advance new medical technologies and that helps "we the patients." Yet on the other hand if the new drugs are so expensive that they are out of reach, what good is it? And, when you get the government involved, it really gets convoluted. Big Pharma and its greed needs to be governed and only the government can do that. Yet politicians (left and right) are "owned" by Big Pharma, so the system is compromised. Take, for instance, if you have a kidney transplant, your immunosuppressive drugs are mostly paid for by the government. Any other solid organ xplant? Too bad. Is the kidney more valuable than the liver or heart? Of course not, but that is the situation. Newer immuno drugs with fewer side effects would be nice. And, more research for "growing" new organs from stem cells is needed as well as xenotransplants research. It's a battle for resources and money is the driver. The transplant community needs to be more proactive in advocacy for our cause.
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Transplant Patient
This is so interesting. I’ve been saying this for so long - the medical industry is just that. An industry. My personal belief is that sometimes things just boil down to profit margins instead of actually centring human care like it should be. There’s pros and cons to this idea of transplantation as a business model, but also that’s life in general.
thanks for sharing this!
Transplant Patient
Good read! It makes me sick to my stomach to think that our lives hang in the balance of a for-profit business, but here we are.
Transplant Patient
Thank you @A_Ray - what were your findings/thoughts re this report? In my view, we need the biopharma industry to take risks to research and develop new drugs for us to survive. I actually would love for more for profit companies to join the battle for better drugs for all of us!
My thoughts are that it is a mixed bag. Profit is a great motivator to advance new medical technologies and that helps "we the patients." Yet on the other hand if the new drugs are so expensive that they are out of reach, what good is it? And, when you get the government involved, it really gets convoluted. Big Pharma and its greed needs to be governed and only the government can do that. Yet politicians (left and right) are "owned" by Big Pharma, so the system is compromised. Take, for instance, if you have a kidney transplant, your immunosuppressive drugs are mostly paid for by the government. Any other solid organ xplant? Too bad. Is the kidney more valuable than the liver or heart? Of course not, but that is the situation. Newer immuno drugs with fewer side effects would be nice. And, more research for "growing" new organs from stem cells is needed as well as xenotransplants research. It's a battle for resources and money is the driver. The transplant community needs to be more proactive in advocacy for our cause.
Transplant Patient
Totally agree on the need for more advocacy from us @A_Ray