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Drugs

Eric Feigl-Ding: Corrupt “SUE TO DELAY” big pharma shenanigan

Photo taken from Eric Feigl-Ding/Twitter

18/10/2023 16:36

Eric Feigl-Ding: Corrupt “SUE TO DELAY” big pharma shenanigan

Eric Feigl-Ding, Faculty, Chair of Public Health, Chief of COVID Task Force at New England Complex Systems Institute, recently shared on X/Twitter:

“Corrupt ‘SUE TO DELAY’ big pharma shenanigan.

Life-saving cancer medicine lenalidomide (Revlimid) costs $720 per generic pill in the USA. In Canada, the same pill is $10. In Finland, the same pill is 2.5 Euros ($2.63)! Despite there being a generic drug, the brand maker Celgene sued to cap generic sales low until 2026 a corrupt pharma practice known as the ‘sue to delay’ deal. Meantime, until then, generic and brand drug makers collude and profit share to keep the drug price extremely high. Ever since lenalidomide generics emerged 13 years ago, there have been plenty of lawsuits and backroom collusion deals about it to keep prices inflated. Meanwhile, cancer patients suffer and die from delayed care from it. As a former childhood survivor of a life-threatening tumor, this disgusts me, and I vow to go after this shit until the day I die.

These corrupt pharma shenanigans of ‘sue to delay’ price collision are well documented in many lawsuits. Here is one example.

So we did the math. Medicare alone spends $5 billion on Revlimid each year. The US could buy all of it for $20-$100 million (Finland/Canada prices)—saving $5 billion. Every year! From just this one cancer drug alone! But instead, we cut food stamps and kids’ healthcare.

I have been fighting big pharma for a long time. I am the furthest thing from being a ‘big pharma shill’ if someone knows my history. My passion is for disease prevention, stopping cancer, and public health. If you want to read more click here.

Do you remember that drug VIOXX by Merck that was once recalled? Turns out they did some dirty shenanigans to hide the risk from the public. Someone you know once held them accountable. (For the video click here).

Big Pharma’s greatest scandal in last 20 years was probably Merck’s Vioxx (rofecoxib) debacle. God, I can write a book on this topic honestly. Fortunately someone did. (My story is in it).

‘Poison Pills: The Untold Story of the Vioxx Drug Scandal’

CRAZIER— the cancer drug Revlimid is only $0.90 USD ($1.43 AUD) in Australia per pill, according to Australian oncologist Bronwyn King. And for those elderly who get government discounts, it’s only $0.22 USD (0.35 AUD) per pill for the elderly! $0.22-$0.90 per pill in Australia versus $720-$800 per pill in the U.S.! That is a 3600x fold difference from cheapest AUS price versus US price!

To be clear, the Australian government’s price is still only $89 AUD per pill or just $56.4 USD. Last time I checked $56 is much less than the full price $700-800 that USG’s Medicare pays! AUS government negotiates on price. USG still hasn’t yet for this drug. Taxpayers are being royally ripped off.

How disgusting is this. Revlimid maker BMS (owner of Celgene) made $10 billion revenue from this drug in 2022 alone. 20% of all their global revenue came from one drug! And there plenty of generics that could reduce their profit—but their ‘sue to delay’ tactics and price collusion with generic makers kept the drug sky high for the last 13 years.”

Source: Eric Feigl-Ding/Twitter