News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:How the Unchecked Power of Companies Is Destabilizing Gov... by Buttons840 on Tuesday October 22, 2024 @11:00PM (#41921338)
This view is a bit too simplistic when the "countless millions" is often paid by taxpayers. Taxpayers pay the company to develop a drug, and then the company gets to seek profit by maximally exploiting taxpayers who paid for the drug.

We don't need to forcefully regulate drug companies, all we have to do, as taxpayers, is ask for something in return for our tax dollars. "We will pay to develop your drug, but then we get to regulate the price, and you'll still make a reasonable profit. That's the deal, take it or leave it." No force, no compulsion, just us taxpayers asking for something in return for our dollars and coming to an agreement before handing over our dollars.

Re:How the Unchecked Power of Companies Is Destabilizing Gov... by tnorthcutt on Tuesday October 22, 2024 @11:27PM (#41921495)
I wasn’t aware that taxpayers funded drug development.

Can you share examples? I am genuinely asking.

Re:How the Unchecked Power of Companies Is Destabilizing Gov... by eesmith on Wednesday October 23, 2024 @12:02AM (#41921694)
https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/where-drugs-come-c...

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullartic...

https://www.ineteconomics.org/perspectives/blog/us-tax-dolla...

Also, the prohibition on letting Medicare negotiate drug prices could be seen as taxpayer funded drug development, assuming that money were used to fund drug development rather than enrich shareholders.

Re:How the Unchecked Power of Companies Is Destabilizing Gov... by jackthetab on Wednesday October 23, 2024 @08:34AM (#41924386)
Will some news[1] articles[2] that refer to government and think-tank papers suffice or are you looking for spreadsheet-level data?

[1] https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/08/29/hhs-selects-the-fi...

[2] https://www.levernews.com/americans-paid-11-billion-to-make-...