US Healthcare: Long Waits and High Spending

BusinessWeek reports that the widely held view that wait times in the US healthcare system are not necessarily lower than in the rest of the world:
One of the most repeated truisms about the U.S. health-care system is that, for all its other problems, American patients at least don’t have to endure the long waits for [...]

Pharma Update: Analysis from BW & Economist

Mirrored from the THDBlog:
The Economist’s analysis of drug patents under attack in the developing world (from Thailand, to India and Brazil) is very illuminating:
At first sight, this row reflects an old dilemma that pits today’s patients against tomorrow’s. Compulsory licensing means that more Thais will get HIV drugs now, but it also means that drugs [...]

The Dilemna of Privatizing Healthcare

The New York Times is carrying an article on American healthcare, that points out how privatization has led to soaring costs:
In a saner world, the place where you live wouldn’t have much effect on how doctors treated your back problems. In our world, it can make all the difference.
In Idaho Falls, Idaho, anyone suffering from the [...]

Big Pharma Attacks Michael Moore

BusinessWeek has an article on Michael Moore’s latest documentary - Sicko. It would appear that everyone from insurance to big pharma is out to get him.
Still, there is mounting concern among the health-care crew. The pharmaceutical industry received reports from Cannes, according to Ken Johnson, senior vice-president of the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America [...]

US Supreme Court Ruling on Patents has International Implications

The Economist reported earlier this month (Patently Obvious - May 5th issue), that the US Supreme Court had raised the bar on what deserves a patent, and qualifies as “non-obvious”. In a patent dispute ruling it stated that, “granting patent protection to advances that would occur in the ordinary course without real innovation retards progress.”
The [...]

Health Update: IFC Healthcare Fund, Clinton HIV drugs, Gates Foundation Strategy

Oodles of news on global public health.
1. The FT carries an article on IFC’s plans to create an Africa healthcare fund of about $500 million. According to the report, the agency has been funding work, in collaboration with the Gates Foundation, to develop an equity, debt and technical assistance fund to finance commercial healthcare projects. [...]

Brazil breaks patent on Merck’s AIDS drug

On Friday May 4, Brazil decided to break off negotiations with Merck on the pricing of its AIDS drug Efavirenz, instead issuing a compulsory license to import the drug from India (reported on BBC, Reuters, WSJ Health Blog). Brazil was presently paying $1.6 per pill, and had offered a reduced price of $1.10. Brazil, however, [...]

Random Nuggets: Patents, Generics, and Climate Change

The IHT reported two interesting pharma related news items.

It may be high season for patent reform in the US. According to the IHT, Democratic control of Congress, pressure to control healthcare costs, and lobbying by the high-tech industry for weaker patent legislation and protection from frivolous patent infringement suits might finally overturn the stranglehold of [...]