Thread: Ebola

Originally Posted by OCDshaver

You can blame the republicans all you like but its the democratic Senate that he can't get through. Harry Reid changed the rules requiring only 51 votes. The republicans can't block that IF the dems have the stomach to confirm him. The fact of the matter is, everyone knows that this appointment was made to do what could not pass legislatively. His qualifications have also come into question by a former SG who charged that he had “no significant related leadership experience and no formal public health training or experience.” The selection was political and the fact that he hasn't been confirmed by the democratically controlled SENATE is political. And yet the republicans, so far, have had little to do with it. The administrations track record speaks for itself. This is yet another example.

And that's because you have the NRA threatening to target a few vulnerable dems if they vote for this guy.

Guys, please keep this thread on topic and don't turn it into a political argument.

Building a plant to run manufacture of medicine based on biological processes (i.e. the product is the output of biological processes in a bioreactor) costs in the order of hundreds of millions. Keeping that same plant running in compliance with the various international regulations (FDA, EMEA, etc) costs in the tens of millions easily. And bringing a product into manufacturing AND getting it approved by the various agencies is a process of many years and many tens of millions.

So ramping up for ebola is not a trivial thing by far.

Btw, healthcare cost is not just a matter of the US paying for research. Lots of ground breaking medical research is done in Belgium without causing me to pay through the nose for something simple. The biggest contributing factor to that is the fact that in the US, healthcare is seen as something that should generate big bucks instead of being basic infrastructure that should be available to all.

That, and the monopoly issue is what can cause your pill to be 20$ in the US and 1$ in India.

Originally Posted by Bruno

Building a plant to run manufacture of medicine based on biological processes (i.e. the product is the output of biological processes in a bioreactor) costs in the order of hundreds of millions. Keeping that same plant running in compliance with the various international regulations (FDA, EMEA, etc) costs in the tens of millions easily. And bringing a product into manufacturing AND getting it approved by the various agencies is a process of many years and many tens of millions.

So ramping up for ebola is not a trivial thing by far.

Btw, healthcare cost is not just a matter of the US paying for research. Lots of ground breaking medical research is done in Belgium without causing me to pay through the nose for something simple. The biggest contributing factor to that is the fact that in the US, healthcare is seen as something that should generate big bucks instead of being basic infrastructure that should be available to all.

That, and the monopoly issue is what can cause your pill to be 20$ in the US and 1$ in India.

Another issue that we run into here in the US is that the FDA doesn't often recognize approvals done by other "FDA-type" agencies in other countries. The European Medicines Agency and Health Canada are often easier to get approval from, and approval in either will = approval in both, but the FDA doesn't honor that type of agreement. So drugs that are available in Europe might not be available here. The FDA is often much more difficult to get approval from than any other agency. For instance, I'm working a device through the FDA now for treating balance disorders in patients with traumatic brain injury, MS, Parkinsons, etc., and we'll likely have approval through Health Canada within a year whereas it's going to take 2-3 years here in the US.
Even worse, I've seen more than a few good start-up companies go out of business because it takes so long to get approvals done. New companies have limited resources and sometimes simply can't stay afloat while waiting 3, 4, 5 years to get their product to market.

Just read this:
Leaked documents reveal behind-the-scenes Ebola vaccine issues | Science/AAAS | News

This is a surprisingly good summary of the issues in ramping up vaccine delivery scheduled while at the same time complying with the regulations involved in clinical trials and getting formal approval. It's not simple at all.

If there is a demand there would be a supply - FDA warns consumers about fraudulent Ebola treatment products

As long as they don't claim directly that their products prevent or treat the infection they could sell as much of it as they want.
As they say the free market would find a solution, and the not-too chained market would find too... may be because it always solves the exact same problem.

Ouch !!!!!

The following letter to the editor of the Lewiston Morning Tribune is interesting (and ironic)

Editor, Lewiston Morning Tribune:

If I wish to import a horse into the United States from Liberia or any African country other than Morocco, the horse needs to undergo a 60 day quarantine period at a USDA approved quarantine facility prior to mingling with the general population of horses in this country. Africa has a disease called African Horse Sickness that does not exist in the US; this is the way we have kept it out of this country. African Horse Sickness does not cause disease in people, only horses; our government has determined that it would be devastating to the US horse industry if it were to come here.

The United States (and virtually all other countries) require a myriad of tests and often quarantine prior to bringing in a foreign animal.

I can’t legally cross state lines in the United States with a horse or cow without a health certificate signed by a USDA accredited veterinarian stating that the animal has been inspected and found free of infectious disease. In most cases blood tests are also required. In fact I can’t legally cross the Snake River and ride my horse in Idaho without a health certificate and a negative blood test for Equine Infectious Anemia.

I’m not complaining; the United States of America, the States of Idaho and Washington as well as the other 48 states take the health of our livestock very seriously, and we have a very good record at keeping foreign animal diseases out of our country. I am happy to do my part to maintain biosecurity in our animal population.

If I am a resident of Liberia incubating Ebola, to enter the United States all I need to do is present a valid visa, and lie when asked if I have been exposed to Ebola. Within hours (no quarantine required) I can be walking the streets of any city in the United States.

I feel very fortunate to live in a country that values our animals so highly.

David A. Rustebakke, DVM

I'm certain he'll rejoice the day when he has to present certificates by accredited doctor for vaccinations and immunizations for 50-200 contagious diseases any time he has to cross a state border.

May be when USA gets a president who respects the Constitution and starts enforcing everything the founding fathers wrote in there along with everything they certainly have meant to write but didn't simply because it was obvious and ink was expensive back then.

Glen, shut it. We're relying on SCIENCE to get us through this. In the wake of that we're ignoring human nature and common sense but it's all very scientific. Just relax and.... Prepare yourself I guess.

Just when you thought this camp fire had smoldered,,,,,