Montell Williams "incident" in Savannah, GA

[2sisters]

To anyone who is sick; to any person who has a loved one who is sick, even one more day with him or her is a miracle. I am sorry that you are so cynical. I had a father die from cancer. I felt that he was the only person who loved me as a child. So, it was a big, big loss to me. I would have given anything to have "a few more years" with him.

A dear friend of mine has prostate cancer, which is in an advanced stage. He was diagnosed as terminal in 1989! He was basically told to go home and die. He instead went to the big cancer institute on NYC (can't thing of the name right now). They operated. He has had so much chemo, he can probably light up a room. That chemotherapy has prolonged his life, which gives him time to spend with his wife, his daughter and his grandchildren. I can tell you that he is grateful for the pharmaceutical companies.

I am cynical about the issue and it is probably b/c of my loss and how much suffering they did. My grandmother's death from cancer was so awful I would have rahter her not taken the chemo at all and just went sooner, her months were not quality and it was just bad. Even only one day is better than none at all, I just would rather there be a cure and I feel it is possible, i jsut don't know why it isn't there.

 

[Kim Ii]

The Truth About the Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us and What to Do About It (Paperback) by Marcia Angell, M.D., is a GREAT book re: FDA/Big Pharma.

I've read it and it's a real eye opener.

Here's more info:

http://www.amazon.com/Truth-About-Drug-Companies-Deceive/dp/0375760946/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b

Here's a little re: what Angell brings forth:

..."She describes how, even though the drug companies claim that it costs them an average of 802 million dollars per drug to develop new medicines, that figure is obscenely inflated since it factors in marketing as well as expected interest the company would have received had they invested the money in the open market. Meanwhile, Angell says, most of the R & D work is done by colleges and universities funded by the government. There are also problems with the drugs themselves, Angell indicates, since a majority are "me-too drugs", slightly modified versions of existing products which meant to address concerns of consumers most likely to spend money on pharmaceuticals. Thus, the market is filled with remarkably similar drugs to treat depression and high cholesterol while potentially life-saving medicines for diseases afflicting third-world countries are discontinued because they aren't profitable. In the books most damning passage, Angell tells of the high-priced junkets offered to doctors, ostensibly offered as educational opportunities that seem to constitute little more than bribes."

"The prognosis for reform is a grim one, Angell indicates, due to the massive cash reserves and lobbying efforts of "Big Pharma." Indeed, that lobby was hard at work trying to discredit her claims immediately upon the book's publication. But for anyone who's paid a pharmacy bill, The Truth About the Drug Companies is a fascinating read."

 

[Kim Ii]

Here's a link re: bio of Marcia Angell, M.D.:

http://www.hms.harvard.edu/dsm/WorkFiles/html/people/faculty/MarciaAngel.html;

Snip:

"Marcia Angell, M. D., is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She stepped down as Editor-in-Chief of the New England Journal of Medicine on June 30, 2000. A graduate of Boston University School of Medicine, she trained in both internal medicine and anatomic pathology and is a board-certified pathologist. She joined the editorial staff of the New England Journal of Medicine in 1979, became Executive Editor in 1988, and Editor-in-Chief in 1999."

 

[Kim Ii]

Here's that link again:

http://www.hms.harvard.edu/dsm/WorkFiles/html/people/faculty/MarciaAngel.html

 

[deanws]

He wouldn't have to make up an answer. The answer is that it would. Plus, it costs millions upon millions of dollars to develop, test and market a drug. Most do not even make it to the final phase. I believe that it takes an average of 14 years for the ones that do make it to market.

To add, many companies have to defend themselves against lawsuits, many of which are unfounded. So, that is very expensive.

The cancer drugs are nothing short of a miracle. They are expensive, but they work. The anemia drugs to counter the chemo side effects work, too. All of the drug companies will give free drugs to those who are truly in need. My sister was able to get all of her medicine for free. I, who had insurance coverage, paid thousands a month in copay. I consider it well worth it, though.

EXACTLY! Wonderful post Nan!!!:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

 

[deanws]

Huh?!.. Monetel Williams?! This seems sooo out of character. I love that guy... think he is so handsome and intelligent. I don't know about that now! :doh:

He is VERY handsome. However, he really acted like a jerk didn't he?!!? I agree with you...totally out of character for his persona.

 

[deanws]

Dearest Dark Knight,:blowkiss:
I had heard this saying many times in my former job.


Much Love and Respect for you,
dark_shadows

What did you used to do DS?

 

[eve]

There's not even a cure for the common cold. Is this also a conspiracy by the pharmaceutical companies? I have found that your way of thinking is usually passed down by one's parents. I know that my parents thought the same way. I actually did some research on pharmaceutical companies while working on my MBA. That research led me to a different way of thinking.

I don't believe that Montel thought the child was being smart. I think that Montel decided to answer defensively. How do you think that made this youngster feel? Do you think that we should just cut Montel a break because of what he may have "thought?"

I wanted to also add that there is plenty of money to be had if the health industry could find cures for cancer and AIDS. There will always be other diseases to treat. The list is really never ending. Polio used to be the killer disease. A cure was found for it. There are all sorts of vaccines now that they didn't have in the past. I think that one of the problems with creating vaccines for some of the diseases is that the viruses constantly mutate.

I agree with you completely, Nan. I readily admit my dad was an officer and vp of a major pharmaceutical company, so many would say I am biased. I prefer to think I am informed. My stepson in law is getting his PHD in Pharmacy, my cousin's hubby is one of the chief researchers (AIDS) at NIH and two BIL's are docs. Also my stepson has a rare disease (Granulometous) and has profited enormously by drug research, especially AIDS rsearch. Because of it, he may actually live to see 40, which was not the case when he was born. Needless to say, in my family, this subject comes up a lot. Especially when people about the high cost of drugs here, versus, say, Canada. My question: who (and how) do people think pays for the enormous amount of research that goes on in the US (no research in Canada)? I saw how hard my dad worked and resent it when I hear people say top pharm execs are engaged in some kind of an evil conspiracy to squash cures in favor of profits. Nothing could be further from the truth.The government is the fly in the ointment with drug approvals. I watched my dad making almost monthly trips to the FDA at one point trying to get drugs approved. Several very important drugs took upwards of 21 years to get approved.

Eve