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Well, battling it out on DZ. com may make one party feel better. But patent disputes are only settled by one of two ways. Negotiation, or litigation.

Sir: you're missing the point. Of course the R& D would still happen. The industry uses the argument that "obscene profits" are necessary to maintain a US "advantage" in medical/drug innovation. When they lobby in Washington. They have established an advantage because of a general advantage of qualified US education and researchers. Together with the US advantage in equity markets that gave rise to many of the top drug/medical companies in the world. China is starting to chip away at that advantage due to a effort by China’s pharmaceuticals industry is growing up U.S. policymakers worry about China 'weaponizing' drug exports Biotech is high on China’s list of future markets to dominate in their Made in China 2025 policy. Washington is clearly worried. As for Obscene Profits well: " The average return on equity for key industries from 2014 – 2016 shows that biopharma’s profits stand at 16.2%, significantly lower than Computer Sciences (31.6%), Beverages (27.4%), Aerospace/Defense (23.0%), and Trucking (19.1%) while modestly higher than Software System/Applications (15.2%) and Healthcare Support Services (14.4%). ... Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is even more telling. IRR calculates the sales/cash flows resulting from R&D investments, ties R&D and the returns it generates together, and is a more appropriate metric for biopharma productivity. Deloitte reports that the IRR for biopharma R&D has been steadily falling from 10.1% in 2010 to 3.2% in 2017. Even Wall Street hasn’t bought into the “pharma soaring profits” view. Since February 1, 2014, while the Dow has risen 63%, the stock prices of a number of major pharma companies have been muted with Pfizer and Bristol-Myers each growing by about 15%, and Merck and AstraZeneca by roughly 6.5%. Even Lilly’s growth of 43% still lags the Dow. " Perhaps the net ROI for shareholders would be higher in the absence of $$$ spent on lobbying, defending IP theft, etc.

Sir: 7 Disturbing Facts About the Fraser Institute "The Institute has received donations of hundreds of thousands of dollars[15] from foundations controlled by Charles and David Koch, with total donations estimated to be approximately $765,000 from 2006 to 2016.[16] It also received US$120,000 from ExxonMobil in the 2003 to 2004 fiscal period.[17] In 2016, it received a $5 million donation from Peter Munk, a Canadian businessman.[18] In 2012, the Vancouver Observer reported that the Fraser Institute had "received over $4.3 million in the last decade from eight major American foundations including the most powerful players in oil and pharmaceuticals". According to the article, "The Fraser Institute received $1.7 million from 'sources outside Canada' in one year alone, according to the group's 2010 Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) return. Fraser Institute President Niels Veldhuis told The Vancouver Observer that the Fraser Institute does accept foreign funding, but he declined to comment on any specific donors or details about the donations."[1 Fraser Institute’s wait times survey is garbage science When initiating an understanding of a broad international area of study. Its useful to use studies that don't have a horse in the race. Understanding heath care costs are easiest to understand using GDP per capital on an equal dollar basis. This is where I would start: "Health spending ... This indicator is presented as a total and by type of financing (“Government/compulsory”, “Voluntary”, “Out-of-pocket”) and is measured as a share of GDP, as a share of total health spending and in USD per capita (using economy-wide PPPs)."PPPs are the rates of currency conversion that equalize the purchasing power of different currencies by eliminating the differences in price levels between countries. The very first chart in the link above factors for all variables between all countries and factors all purchasing varables. Think the worldwide "Big Mac" ppp comparison.

The overpayment of drug and medical device R&D goes right to the overall bottom line of those companies. That allows Canada, Australia, India, EU etc. to negotiate lower prices for those same products. The big drug companies may have head offices in Ireland, Switzerland, etc. But the US is still the leader in leading new drug R&D along with medical devices. I personally find the stories of Americans traveling to Canada to buy insulin offensive. Most are not well off, most are elderly and it borders on criminal.It reflects poorly on America. I welcome them and IMO there should be drive through pharmacies on the US border with bus sized capacity. Skyrocketing cost of insulin pushes Americans to buy drug in Canada

This might be it https://www.skydivemag.com/new/2018-06-06-two-canopies-out

I didn't offer a plan and nothing is free. I think the gap between our current system and single payer is too wide for one leap. I would start with making it legal for the government to negotiate pricing with drug companies. I'd continue with having a medicare buy in program for anyone who wants in. I'd require all doctors and hospitals to disclose in advance all charges in a clear, understandable way. I'd also require every doctor to accept government negotiated (medicare) pricing for all services. I'd let the market offer any more luxurious services at any price to those who can afford the bill. I'd pay for it by raising the top rates a lot, eliminating the red state subsidy by blue states and confiscating all 400 million privately own firearms except mine and selling them for 25 Bucks each on Ebay.

Most of the skydivers I know could be described as degenerates. I keed

That's gonna make life even harder for hobo's and parachute packers. Too bad there is no way to vary the amounts paid in based on income and wealth.

You understand very little. That was a joke, Turtle. Like I said before: think more, post less.

I think he's under contract and can't speak about things. I'll check with him. :)

Do you have any contact info for that dog? I'd love to have him on the show.

No need for special ear plugs. Good disposable ones that lower the decibel by about -30 are fine and disposable. I use the same on my motorcycle. Key is to use them correctly. I've been using disposable ones for at least 15 years.

Sir, Yes and YES.. Its well known thought the world that high US drug costs subsidize the rest of the world. The US pharma industry uses the arguments that it protects US jobs in R & D. It also funds a massive US lobby effort in Washington. Thats also why trump originally promised to overhaul high US drug costs and why it went nowhere.Has Trump Actually Done Anything About Drug Prices? U.S. Drug Prices vs The World

That's the spirit! And I'm serious. Even if he can't keep his teeth in his mouth and needs to reach for his ear horn at the dinner table I'm voting Biden. Instead of pointing out his faults let's put together a list of things we are willing to accept in a candidate just to get rid of Trump. Groping puppies, for example.

Can't believe this hasn't been posted yet:

I don't know what you mean by "special solution". The surefire earplug filters and others like them allow air to pass through. The super expensive versions are not unique in that way.

Outstanding article and great job Danielle. Many of her sentiments are shared by skydivers of color. And (almost) any exposure for our sport in a mainstream rag is a good thing. Love to see efforts like this that can not only promote positive skydiving images but bring our community even closer than we already are. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/05/sports/sky-diving-african-americans.html?fbclid=IwAR1QR976_7A_Zk-BxMEOv_tL6ZUmxLvUcg3SG-6-ZaU_yx-hTNIcsZs4P1Y

You don't need to - but it can help. Your body tends to follow your head, at least at first.

This photo goes way back to 2007/2008, but it's one of my favorite memories of Lisa H. We had such a fun night! Blue skies, dear Lisa! Love you.

MooooOOOOooOOooOooOooOoooOOOOOoo :-(

Hi HPC, No more difficult than anything else that I have been told to keep to myself. Jerry Baumchen PS) I'm thinking that SP may only support the RI products for a number of years & then that will be the end of them.

"Well regulated"

If you're thinking there are too many candidates in the democratic field, use this handy flowchart to narrow your options down.