What, or whom, exactly IS " Big Pharma"?

[uppityperson]

I see this term bandied about this forum, and elsewhere on DU, and was wondering what, or whom, exactly, is "Big Pharma"?

Is it any company that makes money off of prescription meds? Or any med? or any suppliment? or just a certain size company? or a certain company?

I expect there to be snarking about what "they" consider "Big Pharma" to be, but how about telling me what, or whom, you believe it to be. At least first. Thank you.

[rwheeler31]

1. Who makes your drugs?

[uppityperson]

6. Armour Thyroid is made by Forest Pharm. Also take multivit, occassional tylenol or ibuprofen, generi

So are you saying anyone company that manufactures "drugs" is "Big Pharma"? In that case, do the alternative ones (armour thyroid vs synthroid) still count? How about OTCs?

[OhioChick]

2. How's this...

The phrase Big Pharma is often used to refer to companies with revenue in excess of $3 billion, and/or R&D expenditure in excess of $500 million, and represents the first 30 or so companies in this list.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pharmaceutical_companies

[Best_man23]

3. Good post

And good capture of "Big Pharma."

[uppityperson]

7. Thank you. That is a precise definition and tells me what you mean, or they mean.

thank you.

[Posteritatis]

Everyone who doesn't hate all modern medicine is Big Pharma

At least, that's the impression I get on this and other forums.

I'm only half-snarking here, too; I'm pretty sure there's plenty of people here who would take the definition I stuck in the topic there and actually agree with it, mainly the types who would seriously use terms like "evidence-based" as a pejorative.

Myself, I reject the premise. I don't believe there is a big overarching Big Pharma that's fabricating new diseases all the time and suppressing The Trooth(tm) that vitamin C megadoses or drinking the homeopathic kool-aid (hear about the homeopath who drank distilled water? He died of an overdose) will cure your cancer or third-degree burns or projectile leprosy or whatever else you have. Of course, some people enjoy the siege mentality involved in assuming a body of people worldwide that's rather larger than the United States military are all marching in perfect, malign lockstep.

Of course, I imagine that clearly makes me a paid shill for them. I'm still waiting for my payoff from the Secret Masters if that's the case. And a pony.

[uppityperson]

8. But then what is definition of "modern medicine"?

Myself, I think that there are companies big enough that have bought out smaller companies or rights to medicines that work and/or are inexpensive. They hold the patent and will never make the stuff since they won't make enough money off it. And don't want anyone else making it since that would cut into their profit.

Back when I first started nursing in late '70's, there was a deal with FactorEight, factor that is low in a most common type of hemophilia. In order to get enough of the factor, they used to give blood, then serum, then started pulling the different factors out, concentrating them in doses. A kid with hemophilia lived in a town where I worked in ER (small town0 and would come in for factor8 regularly. Talking with the parents, doing research afterwards, I was appalled since this was one of those things that could have been more easily and cheaply treated, lessening the extreme debilitating arthritis many hemophiliacs ended up with but no. Some big company had bought out a bunch of research going on. Pissed me off, let me tell you. (Arthritis is from bumping your leg, then you bleed into your joint until enough pressure builds up to stop the bleeding. Your body absorbs the blood, but it causes, in the end, bone to bone stuff in the joint, severe arthritis. Simplified, but there you are.)

I have been put into the "shill" category by some, since I work in health care and take and educate about medicines, as well as believing very strongly in the good of vaccines overall. I have been called woowoo by some because I work in health care and take and educate about medicines and treatments.

I haven't gotten any money for being a shill, and can't levitate as a woowoo, so perhaps am just confused or uppity?

[99th_Monkey]

11. Please see

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=222&topic_id=54027&mesg_id=54038

Surely these corporate giants have OUR best interests at heart, right?
:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[flyingobject]

4. "companies with revenue in excess of $3 billion" - see list

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pharmaceutical_companies

The phrase Big Pharma is often used to refer to companies with revenue in excess of $3 billion, and/or R&D expenditure in excess of $500 million, and represents the first 30 or so companies in this list.


Revenue Rank 2006 Company Country Total Revenues (USD millions) Healthcare R&D 2006 (USD millions) Net income/ (loss) 2006 (USD millions) Employees 2006
1 Johnson and Johnson U.S. 53,324 7,125 11,053 138,000
2 Pfizer U.S. 48,371 7,599 19,337 122,200
3 Bayer Germany 44,200 1,791 6,450 106,200
4 GlaxoSmithKline United Kingdom 42,813 6,373 10,135 106,000
5 Novartis Switzerland 37,020 5,349 7,202 102,695
6 Sanofi-Aventis France 35,645 5,565 5,033 100,735
7 Hoffmann–La Roche Switzerland 33,547 5,258 7,318 100,289
8 AstraZeneca UK/Sweden 26,475 3,902 6,063 98,000
9 Merck & Co. U.S. 22,636 4,783 4,434 74,372
10 Abbott Laboratories U.S. 22,476 2,255 1,717 66,800
11 Wyeth U.S. 20,351 3,109 4,197 66,663
12 Bristol-Myers Squibb U.S. 17,914 3,067 1,585 60,000
13 Eli Lilly and Company U.S. 15,691 3,129 2,663 50,060
14 Amgen U.S. 14,268 3,366 2,950 48,000
15 Boehringer Ingelheim Germany 13,284 1,977 2,163 43,000
16 Schering-Plough U.S. 10,594 2,188 1,057 41,500
17 Baxter International U.S. 10,378 614 1,397 38,428
18 Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Japan 10,284 1,620 2,870 15,000
19 Genentech U.S. 9,284 1,773 2,113 33,500
20 Procter & Gamble U.S. 8,964 n/a 10,340 29,258
21 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Israel 8,408 495 546 26,670
22 Astellas Pharma Japan 7,850 1,435 1,122 23,613
23 Daiichi Sankyo Japan 7,158 1,459 671 20,100
24 Novo Nordisk Denmark 6,520 1,063 1,086 15,358
25 Eisai Japan 5,583 926 604 14,993
26 Merck KGaA Germany 5,175 772 1,258 13,900
27 Alcon U.S. 4,897 512 1,348 13,500
27 SINOPHARM China 4,700 ??? ??? ???
28 Akzo Nobel Netherlands 4,694 741 1,449 13,000
29 UCB Belgium 4,426 1,024 492 12,741
30 Nycomed Switzerland 4,264 n/a -105 10,533

[99th_Monkey]

9. BEAUTIFULLY DONE!! Hopefully some of these apologists for BigPharma on DU will take note ~nt~

[uppityperson]

12. Forest, who makes Armour Thyroid (aka "natural thyroid") is #31@>3billion

Does that mean that they are "Big Pharma"? I rely on that med to keep me alive, hate the synthetic thyroid shit.

[99th_Monkey]

13. I don't think you're in any danger of being cut off from your meds due to holding BigPharma ...

...accountable for their actions that are harmful to affordable health care and human health in general.

[uppityperson]

14. Not what I meant, would rather not be supporting them.

Having the makers of Natural Thyroid on the Big Pharma list makes me question the list. And I hold even small pharma accountable for their actions that are harmful to affordable health care and human health in general.

[99th_Monkey]

21. What I'm not getting is how these two pieces of your argument hang together

1) "Having the makers of Natural Thyroid on the Big Pharma list makes me question the list" I mean, so what if ONE of
the big pharmas listed happens to manufacture ONE particular drug that's actually useful and beneficial to human life?
How does it follow that the entire "list" is questionable?
and
2) "(I) would rather not be supporting them" I assume "them" means "big pharma"? ... there should be no shame in getting
what you need personally to have a decent human existence period ... the shame is upon the corporate pharmaceutical
blood-suckers who only see profit$, and not improving the quality of human life, as their goal.

[uppityperson]

10. Thanks. Forest, who makes Armour Thyroid (aka "natural thyroid") is 31@>3billion

I guess that makes them "Big Pharma" then. Thanks for the list, got me to go look at it directly. Dang, I was hoping they wouldn't be "Big Pharma" since they make dessicated pig thyroid gland pills that keep me alive.

[SidDithers]

18. 18 out of 30 are not American...

just sayin'

Sid

[Posteritatis]

20. I doubt the other 95% of the planetary population is bothered by that (nt)

[Snarkoleptic]

5. Think Pfizer, Lilly, Searle, Merck, Wyeth, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca.

[Cleita]

15. Here's the website of their foundation and it's PhRMA.

http://www.phrma.org/

In spite of all the altruistic words on the website, they are not our friends but Wall Street's friends.

[Why Syzygy]

16. Crooks?

The phrase Big Pharma is often used to refer to companies with revenue in excess of $3 billion, and/or R&D expenditure in excess of $500 million, and represents the first 30 or so companies in this list.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pharmaceutical_companies

Pharma

Slang for a pharmaceutical company or the pharmaceutical industry.
Big Pharma is not showing the stock gains it did in the 90's.
drug industry pharmacutical firm drug company pharmacutical company pharmaceutical industry
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pharma

Urban dictionary doesn't have a definition for "Big Pharma" as of yet.


Big Pharma Spends More On Advertising Than Research And Development, Study Finds

ScienceDaily (Jan. 7, 2008) — A new study by two York University researchers estimates the U.S. pharmaceutical industry spends almost twice as much on promotion as it does on research and development, contrary to the industry’s claim.

The researchers’ estimate is based on the systematic collection of data directly from the industry and doctors during 2004, which shows the U.S. pharmaceutical industry spent 24.4% of the sales dollar on promotion, versus 13.4% for research and development, as a percentage of US domestic sales of US$235.4 billion.

The research is co-authored by PhD candidate Marc-André Gagnon, who led the study with Joel Lexchin, a long-time researcher of pharmaceutical promotion, Toronto physician, and Associate Chair of York’s School of Health Policy & Management in the Faculty of Health.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080105140107.htm

[flyingobject]

17. they're the cos that spend more on Viagra Commercials than Vaccine Safety

:rofl:

[xchrom]

19. 'big pharma' is what ever anti-medical science wakos say it is. nt