January 31, 2019 6:00 AM
Morning Reads – Thursday, January 31, 2019
Peaches
- Firm’s close ties to Georgia stir concerns about voting system purchase
- There are 40 hate groups operating in Georgia, report says
- For $39M, genteel hunting lodge is now Georgia’s most expensive property
- The Atlantic: Why Democrats Picked Stacey Abrams to Deliver Their Trump Counterpunch
- Georgia regulators consider delay in report on Vogtle nuclear progress
- NOT: Mother of the year
- The Superbowl of Corporate Welfare
- Kemp says he won’t support this
Jimmy Carter
- Uncertainty clouds the reality of yet another media frenzy
- Feds used fake metro Detroit university to identify nonimmigrant aliens
- She’s Not ‘The One’: The Antidote To Sexism In The Race Toward The Presidency
- The “Anyone can be President” tour continues
- Prisons Quietly Build Databases Of Inmate Voice Prints…
Sweet Tea
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Jessica Szilagyi
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I’m starting to think there’s a lot of bipartisan agreement* to be had in going after drug makers:
https://www.propublica.org/article/oxycontin-purdue-pharma-massachusetts-lawsuit-anti-addiction-market
*We all know full well Big Pharma’s lobbying dollars are too strong to actually let any real reform, like letting Medicare negotiate drug prices, happen.
I’m not convinced that letting Medicare negotiate all drug prices is the beat way. It would work to lower prices for sure, but I would be worried that it would stifle innovation.
But I would not dismiss the administration’s desire to fight the drug companies. They honestly don’t care how much the drug companies spend. They are moving forward on lowering drug prices. One avenue that I think is the best is forcing drug companies to raise their artificially low prices oversees before they can sell their products in the USA. Canada and the EU pay an artificially low price on certain drugs because they have capped what manufactures can sell it for in those countries. What we should say is “our market is bigger. Raise prices there so that everyone is paying close to the same thing or you can’t sell your drug in the USA,” The USA’s market is too big for them to walk away from and they will be forced to take on the EU and raise prices.
If you follow this closely you can see that European countries are already talking about the need to find more money to pay for drug increases in their countries over the next few years.
This is the solution. Make others pay their fair share. Where have I heard that before????
Medicare negotiation is a start.
The FDA needs more funding and resources to process ANDAs faster and clear the gigantic backlog of pending applications, helping get generics into the market faster.
In addition, we should be allowing the import of generics that have already qualified in developed countries like Canada, Israel, and the EU to provide more competition in the generic marketplace. (This was an idea that Sen. Sanders has been pushing for a while that recently got some support from Sen. Cassidy)
As for the innovation issue, Sen. Sanders has been championing a well-designed prize regime for over a decade at this point. Prize systems that compensate pharmaceutical companies for R&D costs would still provide innovation incentives while lowering the burdens faced by consumers who are forced to buy high-priced drugs due to patent monopolies. The downside is that you’ve got raise taxes to do it and – even if it would wind up costing Americans significantly less, due to the money saved on drug prices – people are loath to raise taxes.
As for the Canada/EU issues, there are a number of factors leading to low drug prices in those countries, chief among them is the ability of national health plans to negotiate drug prices. In addition, generics get to market faster in Canada and Europe than they do in the United States, which also helps keep prices low.
European countries are also more likely to issue compulsory licenses on patented medicines – although TRIPS reigns them in on a lot of fronts – which acts as a “dangling sword” of sorts when it comes to getting drug companies to agree to lower prices.
India uses the threat of compulsory licenses all the time and, as a result, drug prices there are often 1% or less of the US price because the generics market is so strong.
I could write for days on the reforms we need in the patent system to control secondary patents, evergreening, etc. I’ve got some white papers I’ve worked on with regard to the US’ ability to issue compulsory licenses on patented drugs, too.
The biggest challenge is the amount of money big pharma throws around on Capitol Hill and in state houses all over the country.
I think this administration is looking to do as much as they can without involving the Hill because they are worthless and this is a big issue that needs to be addressed.
I’d love to chat more about this and maybe when I get home tonight and have time I will.
I actually think there’s a fair amount that can be done on the Hill at this point. This is one of those rare issues where Trump and Sanders/Warren/AOC, etc. overlap.
WOW, who knew it would be that easy!
https://www.foxnews.com/us/indiana-city-bans-all-crime-during-cold-snap
By the same logic, during the next Summer heat wave, they will notify the public of The Purge.
The $39 million estate does have a very impressive classical revival house you can see on Hwy 26 between the I-16 exit to Cochran. It is about 5 miles south of 16, on the east side of the road. You might miss it going south. The north bound view from 26 is much better. I have always liked the proportions and detailing of the structure. It was well placed on a raise overlooking the yard. It is about 400 feet from the hwy, just north of the Lauren’s/Bleakly county line. I did not know how extensive the estate beyond was.
The more hate groups the SPLC can find the more it scares their donors to give more money.
SB 4. Isn’t it about time to have a public lactation room at the capitol?
Too Funny… I’ll still order a bourbon and Coke, somehow a bourbon and Pepsi just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
https://www.ajc.com/news/local/super-bowl-cola-wars-pepsi-statue-offers-truce-coke-country/lnU4osILgJj6PIt7ip8nqI/
Yum, sugar on sugar… gross.
Waste of bourbon either way.
I too remember being 19 and having zero taste thinking that soda and bourbon was “good.”
This is an interesting development.
https://www.ajc.com/blog/politics/power-play-duncan-seeks-nix-dozens-deal-appointments/jUXshvHBbbaJr0W7dIThWM/
Now if we could get the legislature to undo the sweetheart deals the former governor made for himself with people beholden to him for their appointments, that would be real nice.
If the Regina Quick now acting as Duncan’s attorney is the same Regina Quick from Athens who was appointed Superior Court judge by Deal back in 2017, that seems odd.
Considering Quick lost re-election back in May, she does have some time on her hands.