The Soapbox

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You gotta be proud of AOC. A doer added to a do-nothing congress. +1

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) confronted a CEO Thursday for pricing a drug designed to reduce the risk of HIV transmission at $8 in Australia but over $1,500 in the U.S.

"You're the CEO of Gilead. Is it true that Gilead made $3 billion in profits from Truvada in 2018?" Ocasio-Cortez asked Gilead CEO Daniel O'Day.

"$3 billion in revenue," he clarified.

"The current list price is $2,000 a month in the United States, correct?" she asked, referring to Truvada.

"It's $1,780 in the United States," O'Day responded.

"Why is it $8 in Australia?" Ocasio-Cortez countered.

"Truvada still has patent protection in the United States and in the rest of the world it is generic," O'Day explained, adding, "It will be generically available in the United States as of September 2020."

"I think it's important here that we notice that we the public, we the people, developed this drug. We paid for this drug, we lead and developed all the patents to create prep and then that patent has been privatized despite the fact that the patent is owned by the public, who refused to enforce it," Ocasio-Cortez said.

"There's no reason this should be $2,000 a month, people are dying because of it and there's no enforceable reason for it."

The Hill

Teddy Kennedy said -- If government can't make things better it's people, those people don't need that government.

Teddy would be proud of AOC as we should be.

Posted: 05/17/2019 at 07:33AM

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Current Thread:

You gotta be proud of AOC. A doer added to a do-nothing congress. +1 -- Lazarus 05/17/2019 07:33AM

Only Republicans are pushing AOC... ** -- hoothat 05/17/2019 10:05AM

A lot to unpack in that post. If she really wanted to make a big -- Lupos 05/17/2019 08:13AM

Just guessing that since the CEO of Gilead was seated in front of her, AOC -- Lazarus 05/17/2019 08:20AM

I get to see how this affects my patients every day. I don't -- Lupos 05/17/2019 08:38AM

I think his point is her comments were focused on that drug because she -- 111Balz 05/17/2019 08:51AM

I appreciate her intent and approach but I would love to see a broader -- Lupos 05/17/2019 09:13AM

I think and hope it starts the conversation about a number of related -- 81_Hokie 05/17/2019 10:55AM

Agree, competition good, but as you stated, there is no level playing field ** -- Oregon Hoo 05/17/2019 11:13AM

Her goal to achieve it is universal healthcare -- WahooMatt05 05/17/2019 09:25AM

Wait? Really? -- hoothat 05/18/2019 03:17AM

Now that is a good post. Chapeau Lupos. +1 ^^^ -- Lazarus 05/17/2019 08:40AM

I'd be more proud if she knew the difference between a revenue and a profit ** -- Folly Beach Hokie 05/17/2019 08:06AM

'fraid you are missing the forest for a very small tree. ** -- Lazarus 05/17/2019 08:13AM

I confess that was about the first thing that jumped out at me. -- hoolstoptheheels 05/17/2019 10:16AM

If its selling profitably for $8 in Australia, and it sells for $2000 here, -- southdenverhoo 05/17/2019 11:43AM

Certainly at the gross profit level that is true. -- BocaHoo91 05/17/2019 12:08PM

Ok, but if an American pharma co. can turn a profit at $8 a pop from -- hoolstoptheheels 05/17/2019 12:45PM

I think in this case you're probably right, but going back to -- BocaHoo91 05/17/2019 1:01PM

One of her points, and I don't know if it is factually accurate, is -- southdenverhoo 05/17/2019 2:06PM

Should have read whole thread, sorry. this is fully fleshed out below. ** -- southdenverhoo 05/17/2019 2:22PM

No worries... I agree with you. I guess my bigger concern is who is -- BocaHoo91 05/17/2019 3:13PM

Exactly. I think if we're not careful, we will overreact to the point -- hoolstoptheheels 05/17/2019 1:45PM

Good point. ** -- hoolstoptheheels 05/17/2019 11:56AM

Not really. There's a pattern of this, on both sides. -- HWA 05/17/2019 10:11AM

'fraid i'm not, she has a history of not knowing basic terminology.** -- Folly Beach Hokie 05/17/2019 08:22AM

AOC is also very humble. When Chaiman Cummings thanked her for leading the -- Lazarus 05/17/2019 08:26AM

Ok. And? -- hoothat 05/18/2019 03:21AM

Looks like their cost is below $8 on this drug -- WahooMatt05 05/17/2019 08:10AM

The difference between gross profit and -- BocaHoo91 05/17/2019 08:31AM

I saw this article a few months ago -- WahooMatt05 05/17/2019 08:47AM

I read an article about the generic insulin issue a few months back and it -- BocaHoo91 05/17/2019 09:40AM

There is one Presidential candidate with a bill addressing generic insulin -- WahooMatt05 05/17/2019 09:45AM

If only she didn't have a bunch of other shitty ideas ** -- BocaHoo91 05/17/2019 09:47AM

LOL. -- WahooMatt05 05/17/2019 09:48AM

+1 Actually anyone willing to take any time will find that Warren's ideas -- Lazarus 05/17/2019 10:36AM

Wealth tax, universal childcare, student loan cancellation for 95% -- BocaHoo91 05/17/2019 11:21AM

Do a little research and then post again. ** -- Lazarus 05/17/2019 11:27AM

Explain his inaccuracies, please. -- hoothat 05/18/2019 03:23AM

Thanks Balz. At least you didn't ask me to read for understanding -- BocaHoo91 05/17/2019 11:29AM

Same thought -- WahooMatt05 05/17/2019 10:42AM

She's definitely smart. Which is one of the bigger problems I have with -- BocaHoo91 05/17/2019 11:23AM

Maybe, tbh...I dont know much about the drug. Is R&D included in the costs? -- Folly Beach Hokie 05/17/2019 08:24AM

Not defending Gilead's Shkreli-esque behavior...but I suspect the -- Tuckahokie 05/17/2019 08:23AM

CEO of Gilead: the job Mike Pence really has his eye on. ** -- WahooRQ 05/17/2019 08:04AM

Would need more details to determine my -- BocaHoo91 05/17/2019 08:00AM

Here ya go Boca. Our man Elijah Cummings rises to speak ... -- Lazarus 05/17/2019 08:12AM

That doesn't answer the question though. If the gov't funded the research -- BocaHoo91 05/17/2019 09:30AM

I am curious how new drug research in the countries with socialized -- Tuckahokie 05/17/2019 08:02AM

The question makes little sense as drugs developed -- KCHoo 05/17/2019 10:53AM

Here’s the catch to your question. -- DanTheFan 05/17/2019 08:44AM

I have no problem with the gov't attaching strings to their grant dollars. -- BocaHoo91 05/17/2019 09:34AM

It’s complicated. Switzerland is a big hub for -- BocaHoo91 05/17/2019 08:29AM

I have seen quotes and read articles about CEOs bragging about how many -- Lazarus 05/17/2019 09:13AM

Pharma spends too much money on patent protection. We need a strong -- BocaHoo91 05/17/2019 09:25AM

Why are you “confident” of that? Your experience in the pharma industry -- WahooRQ 05/17/2019 08:50AM

Some basic math, a few functioning brain cells and a career spent -- BocaHoo91 05/17/2019 09:22AM

So choice #2. You know there are these things called grants and even NFPs -- WahooRQ 05/17/2019 09:26AM

Yes, it's possible the drug could have been developed entirely through -- BocaHoo91 05/17/2019 09:27AM

Possible. It's also possible that RQ will stop being a douche. -- hoothat 05/18/2019 03:29AM

Teddy and AOC, model citizens! ** -- TomKazanski 05/17/2019 07:36AM