Many of you may feel that Brazil is doing the right thing here, and I must admit to a certain satisfaction as well, but there is more to this issue than "life is sacred, you can't put a price on it, etc.."
These companies spend BILLIONS developing these drugs. What fuels this research? PROFIT. Helping people is great, but these companies are in BUSINESS. If governments simply start TAKING them, then what is the incentive to research new drugs?
Don't discount the importance of this decision; if other countries try to follow Brazil's lead with this, you WILL see a reduction in new developments in private AIDS research. This already happened with malaria drug research, so there is a precedent.
Personally, I hope the WTO comes down on Brazil like the Wrath of God, to discourage other countries from attempting this. This kind of short-sighted move is the kind of thing that critically slows down drug research. Like most of you, I beleive protecting it's people is the most important goal for a government.. but with millions dying anually fron this disease, can we afford to delay a cure?
Capitalism is a dirty business, but it's the reality of the world we live in.
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Many of you may feel that Brazil is doing the right thing here, and I must admit to a certain satisfaction as well, but there is more to this issue than "life is sacred, you can't put a price on it, etc.." These companies spend BILLIONS developing these drugs. What fuels this research? PROFIT. Helping people is great, but these companies are in BUSINESS. If governments simply start TAKING them, then what is the incentive to research new drugs? Don't discount the importance of this decision; if other countries try to follow Brazil's lead with this, you WILL see a reduction in new developments in private AIDS research. This already happened with malaria drug research, so there is a precedent. Personally, I hope the WTO comes down on Brazil like the Wrath of God, to discourage other countries from attempting this. This kind of short-sighted move is the kind of thing that critically slows down drug research. Like most of you, I beleive protecting it's people is the most important goal for a government.. but with millions dying anually fron this disease, can we afford to delay a cure? Capitalism is a dirty business, but it's the reality of the world we live in.