Fortunate Son #2

With people like Bayer CEO Marijn Dekkers in the world....

Now I've been in the business world long enough to know that the powers that be don't give a damn about their customers--it's what's in their wallets that they truly care about.  Mr. Dekkers took that to new heights recently when he disclosed that the cancer drug Nexavar (used as a treatment in late state kidney and liver cancer) was developed for Westerners who could afford it (a year's treatment in the U.S.:  $96,000--though most insurance companies will cover the cost, less co-pay).

What caused Mr. Dekker's honesty?  In India, if a pharmaceutical company can't make a drug that's affordable to the average Indian, the patent courts will award  rights to an Indian company that will (a year's treatment in India is $69,000, which is 41 times the annual per capita income). The Indian courts did just that with Nexavar.  Mr. Dekkers termed this "essentially theft."  Funny, I would have thought that making sure people can afford treatment for a death sentence like kidney or liver cancer would be called compassion.

Kind of makes you hope that Dante was right and that there are circles in hell for those who commit crimes against humanity.

Peace,
emaycee