£850k Drug Plea To Save Dying Daughter

£850k Drug Plea To Save Dying Daughter

news.sky.com

The parents of a dying girl have dumped one million euros - a staggering £857,000 - outside the British firm that has refused to supply life-saving drugs to her.

(visit the link for the full news article)

As a parent myself this is heartbreaking and infuriating!

I don't know how difficult and expensive it is to produce these medicines but when you have been given a price by the company and made the effort to raise the money only to be told, 'you know what? You can't have it anyway as we don't have it!' then you have every right to feel angry and betrayed.

This problem would not exist if pharma companies were motivated by helping other people rather than patenting everything they can get their grubby bloody hands on in order to make money.

It is disgusting and I would certainly be thinking about taking the law in to my own hands should I find myself in that situation.

Unfortuantely, for now, it is a money world we live in. Let's hope the criminal overworld gets over-run and thrown out ASAP!

news.sky.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 15/7/2009 by skibtz]

It's a sad story indeed and my heart goes out to the family.

However don't make out it's all about money, this case is not about money, the family have the money. The company doesn't unfortunately have enough drugs, they're not samaritans and they're certainly not magicians who can just conjur up drugs for her. Neither you nor I are chemists so do not know the process that goes into making these drugs or the time, the drugs are still under trial so the manurfacturing process will be likely longer as well as opposed as to current mass produced drugs.

It's heartbreaking to read but there's nothing that can done, not even pressurising the company as from what it seems there's 9 other people in the same situation who were lucky to get selected for the trials or would you rather one of those not be given the drug ?

reply to post by Discotech


Excellent counter but IMO it is still all about the money and apathy. +star

Shire Pharm. no doubt holds the patent for this drug and, knowing full well that this is the only chance this child has of surviving, still refuses to go the extra mile to help.

I am sorry but that is totally unacceptable in my framework of right and wrong.

In a better world where science and health sectors are driven to give every human the best possible chance of survival regardless of the financial cost, the loss of time and the expenditure of energy, cases like this would not happen.

Unfortunately we live in a world where decisions are dictated by financial constraints and that is exactly what is happening here. This company could make the effort, absorb the cost and give its time to help this girl - but it doesn't and that is disgusting.

And you are definitely right about one thing - these companies are not Samaritans: but they flipping well should be...

[edit on 16/7/2009 by skibtz]