As sad as this story is, the silver lining is that patents expire, and 20 years from the patent filing point (probably 5-10 years from now?), patients will be able to be affordably cured. It sucks but is better than nothing.
The story is clear: the problem is not the patent itself but the cost of passing regulation hurdles and maintaining a plant producing the drug when there is suck low demand.
No one will invest in this even after the patent expires. The best the patients could hope is to group togethr to get some done produced?
Regulation hurdles were met, and the cost of a plant is overblown. Most specialty pharmacy are made in small labs with a few pharmacy techs, and they can make other things in between this drug.
I think the issue is that of pharma alows the price to drop on this drug, they lose negotiations on other drugs. They don't want a precedence to be set where they drop thier price if insurance companies refuse to pay.
No one will invest in this even after the patent expires. The best the patients could hope is to group togethr to get some done produced?