The real issue is patent laws within the US. These government backed monopolies have allowed price gouging to occur and inhibit progress, research and competition.  Pharm companies are just the beginning.  Drugs where we can get $5 generics at Wal-Mart were once sold for outrageous prices while they were under patent protection. They prevent independent reliable testing by adding non disclosure and/or approval clauses to end user agreements.  

But even worse than the pharmaceutical companies are the research companies who hold patents on viruses, diseases, and human genes. They charge to research, they control who can research, and they prevent development of competing drugs.   They create a legal and financial barrier to universities and companies who wish to do research, who wish to find cures, and who really wish to heal the masses. Approximately 20 percent of all human genes are patented, including genes associated with Alzheimer’s, muscular dystrophy, colon cancer, breast cancer, and even some forms of asthma. No company can test your genes for the warning signs, without paying for rights to access your genes.

 

Other medical patents that drive up cost includes patents on medical machines, implants, and other medical life saving devices. Medical techniques are also covered as ‘trade secrets’ and companies charge to allow doctors to use said techniques. That ‘heart hospital’ around the corner, is most likely a hospital that has paid for the rights to use such trade techniques, and specialty devices that increase their success rate.

 

All you lawyers will start the argument that its in the constitution. (for those who don’t know.. The Congress shall have power ... To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.)

 

The recent lawsuits that have been filed by many organizations ranging from the American breast cancer society, the Public Patent Foundation, and the ACLU, have claimed our current patent law is unconstitutional because the current patent laws do not promote the progress of science.   In reality, the control of our genes, our diseases, our viruses prevent medical advancement while allowing price gouging and other detrimental results of these government backed monopolies.

 

Some countries, which really care for their citizens, have publically begun to ignore US and WTO patent laws. They allow the medicines to be produced, they allow the procedures to be used, and they allow research on diseases that are covered by patent laws. When Brazil rejects Gilead patent on HIV drug, the US took the matter to the WTO, threatening sanctions for ignoring the global patents laws. Their companies make a generic WHO approved version for $158/year instead of the $1,400/year version sold by Gilead.

 

People may argue, that without patent laws, no one would do the research, no one would invest in the research. But the reality is the people who actually do the research, are ones who believe in the cause, those who want to save lives, and those whose priority does not lay in the pocket book. The only ones who benefit from these patent laws are the Businessmen/women higher up the corporate ladder, as well as their stockholders. The individuals, who have put their hearts into the cause, see little of the rewards of the price gouging.

 

If the patent laws do not change, there will never be a cure for the high cost of medical care within the United States.

 

A large portion of our tax dollars goes to research. One additional law that should be passed is that any company who receives government money for research, CAN NOT profit or patent the results of that research. This should include all aspects of patents, medical, industrial, environmental, and energy.   Tax dollars paid for the foundation of the internet, subsidized phone lines, etc… and yet we have to pay a second time to the companies that control those government paid infrastructure. 

 

**On a side note, Monsanto owns rights to nearly 70 percent of all soy seeds and 85 percent of all corn seeds sold in the US.  They sell 90 percent of the worlds genetically modified seeds.  The current trend of seeds are terminator seeds, which will only grow once, and will not produce grow able seeds used in future crops.  (Forcing farmers to purchase seeds every year.)   Now that they own the market, they have begun to jack prices up. Corn seed prices went up 26 percent last year alone. Soy as well, had its prices increased 23 percent last year. There are many good documentaries out there that look at the future of our food supply, and how Monsanto has gained control of the world food market.