Drug Dealers to get new rules in the U.S.A.

[Jeunemaitre]

1. The focus of R&D is driven more by the expectation of profit than by the needs of man, Ill grant you that, but that's a function of straight economics.

2. Okay, so my detail on the length of patent is off. And there are other ways to add life to the patent (pediatric trials, etc). Also, I might be remembering incorrectly, but a formulation change (such as developing a 12 hour formulation to replace a 4 hour formulation) doesn't buy you 20 more years.

3. Okay, so the next rival of viagra will never save someone's life, but maybe it will make someone's life more livable. One of the major side effects of antidepressants (specifically SSRIs like fluoxetine (Prozac) and paroxetine (Paxil)) is erectile dysfunction. If a second med can be prescribed to combat this side effect, the person may be more likely to take their antidepressant as regularly scheduled (rather than skipping days). There's also a good bit or research into less toxic chemotherapy agents, adjunct drugs to improve the effectiveness of radiation therapy, and a huge market is opening in the medical device industry.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that yes the market is driven by profit, but there are some developments that will help a lot of people, hopefully.