Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam B.
Why can't this be the same for medical purposes? The dying people in poor countries can't afford, and wouldn't be able to purchase the medication at it's market value. If someone else can produce the medication at a lower cost, and save lives, why shouldn't they? The original company looses nothing, as the people would have never been able to afford their product, and would have simply died without it.
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The appropriate way to do that - IMHO - is for the government of rich countries to purchase drugs from the manufacturer and donate them to poor countries, as a part of their overseas aid programmes. That way the people get the drugs, and the manufacturer gets paid.
The problem with "pirated" drugs is that they DO find their way back to western markets (look at all the "internet pharmacies") and directly take money away from the manufacturer.