Valid point for EpiPen, but a part of the reason for the US price gouging was physician prescribing - there were/are non-equivalent EpiPens available in the US (different, but still effective). Doctor choose or don’t know to prescribe it.
The beta-blockers is also valid, but back then (mid-20th century) the EMA (or constituent countries) were consistently approving faster than the FDA. It wasn’t until the 80’a when the FDA was revamped to be more like the EMA.
Regardless, even though some may prefer failures like Mediator or Thalidomide, I just don’t think there is the political appetite to tell folks “yeah, the drug turned out to hurt people, but that’s the price we pay for having faster approvals”.
Logically it makes sense, but when it’s your child who is hurt by a drug, people get very risk adverse very quickly.
The beta-blockers is also valid, but back then (mid-20th century) the EMA (or constituent countries) were consistently approving faster than the FDA. It wasn’t until the 80’a when the FDA was revamped to be more like the EMA.
Regardless, even though some may prefer failures like Mediator or Thalidomide, I just don’t think there is the political appetite to tell folks “yeah, the drug turned out to hurt people, but that’s the price we pay for having faster approvals”.
Logically it makes sense, but when it’s your child who is hurt by a drug, people get very risk adverse very quickly.