[geeks] Drug prices (was Re: nVidia 8800GT for Apple Mac Pro)

[wa2egp at att.net]

-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: der Mouse <mouse at Rodents.Montreal.QC.CA>
>
> > There are new families of antibacterial drugs under development based
> > on novel mechanisms to which it is currently believed that bacteria
> > cannot develop resistance.  But I'll believe that when I see it[1],
> 
> > [1]  I'd be willing to believe "none of the resistance mechanisms
> >      hitherto observed in existing bacteria will work", but not a
> >      blanket "resistance is futile".
> 
> Yeah.  Evolution is constantly finding novel ways to do things.  For
> example, there are organisms that are comfortable in seafloor vents.
> That's temperatures in the multiple hundreds of degrees; the only
> reason they aren't running rampant and laughing at our autoclaves and
> the like is that they can't survive at temperatures as low as ours, any
> more than the pathgens that do trouble us could infect a hypothetical
> something living at liquid-air temperatures.
> 
> Give me a healthy immune system over a drug any day. :)

The problem is that today's method of applying antibiotics needs to change.  An antibiotic given in pill form allows 90% of that antibiotic to leave the body into the environment.  Now if a smaller amount was applied directly to the infection, assuming it's localized, then less would be released and the chance of resistance developing in something "out there".  Some countries, antibiotics are available over the counter and are massively misused.

Bob