Antibiotic Resistant Staph Antibiotic Discovered

edward.virtually@pob writes "CNN is reporting that a team of scientists has discovered an extremely effective killer of the antibiotic resistant form of staph infection occuring naturally in rock pools. Unfortunately, despite the obvious cheap potential availability of this cure, do not expect it to be cheaply available. The employer of the scientists, AquaPharm Bio-Discovery Limited, the story notes 'is keeping the identity of its MRSA-killing bacteria a closely guarded secret, and taken out patents on how they can be cultivated and used.' Oh well."

Comments

Re:Patenting..

[garcia]

I see nothing wrong with pantenting the process so long as the patent isn't abused.

Yeah, right.

I hope these people don't find the cure for AIDS. That would be one that would be ethically/morally wrong to abuse.

Since when did morals have anything to do w/the economy?

Let's let NADA do it

[dughat]

I know, rather than have pharmaceutical companies exist to make money by inventing and selling new drugs, let's let someone else do it. How about NADA, the National Anti Disease Administration. They could use 30 year old technology to achieve cures for diseases few people have, they could kill people because they measured their doses in ounces but prescribed them in cc's (yeah, that's a cheap shot), they could have to fight for every dollar every year in congress, and be forced to fund showy programs so they aren't viewed as irrelevant.

Or maybe we could just expect the researcher to be like teachers. We could pay them insufficiently, give them terrible working conditions, make them buy their own supplies, and blame them when all the diseases arent cured.

Maybe some genius out there has a better system, but so far, there's plenty of evidence that capitalism gets stuff done, even if it is imperfect.

I also, btw, agree with the poster who pointed out it is good this is expensive, so it doesn't get over used.