RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Paying a high price for low costs: why there should be no legal constraints on the profits that can be made on drugs for tropical diseases
JF Journal of Medical Ethics
JO J Med Ethics
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Institute of Medical Ethics
SP 315
OP 319
DO 10.1136/jme.2008.026369
VO 35
IS 5
A1 Sonderholm, J
YR 2009
UL http://jme.bmj.com/content/35/5/315.abstract
AB This paper deals with the question of how to price drugs for tropical diseases. The thesis defended in the paper is: (i) there should be no legal constraints on the profits pharmaceutical companies can make on their products for tropical diseases. In essence, (i) expresses the idea that drugs for tropical diseases should be treated as any other product on the free market and that the producers of these drugs should be allowed to sell their products at whatever price the market can bear. The main argument in favour of (i) is first outlined. Five common arguments against (i) are thereafter discussed, and it is argued that all of these fail in their intended purpose.