logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2023
38m 46s

Sawbones: Patents vs. Life-Saving Drugs

Justin McElroy, Dr. Sydnee McElroy
About this episode
John Green recently made a video asking Johnson & Johnson not to extend their patent on a tuberculosis drug, which would keep it exclusive and expensive. Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about how drug patents work, the recent (good) update about bedaquiline specifically, and the next steps that pharmaceutical companies and the government need to make to keep life ... Show More
Up next
Jul 28
Sawbones: What’s More Edible, Paper or Cotton?
It’s one of our favorite kinds of episodes, making use of Dr. Sydnee’s expertise and Justin’s street smarts: medical questions! Why do we fart? How long is the digestive tract? Why are all minor mouth injuries so awful? Does REM “detoxify” the brain? And am I experiencing nightma ... Show More
39m 45s
Jul 21
Sawbones: Cyclospora
The food has been going wild lately, and none more in the headlines this second than cyclospora parasite which is causing an outbreak of . . . intense gastrointestinal distress. Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about the history of parasitic illnesses and what to know about the outbrea ... Show More
41m 39s
Jul 7
Sawbones: Medicine Brand Names
This week, Justin walks Sydnee through the complexities of pharmaceutical naming. Join them as they review the history of the functional regulatory procedures, as well as the way branding and marketing has resulted in increasingly-wild names like "Prozac" and "Skyrizi." Music: "M ... Show More
39m 29s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2020
The pharmacists fighting high drug prices
If you had a rare disease and the only drug that could help you suddenly shot up in price how would you feel? What if your health service or insurer decided it was too expensive and they wouldn’t fund it any more? This is the problem facing some patients in the Netherlands.In ord ... Show More
23m 40s
Apr 2021
Why are drug prices so high? Investigating the outdated US patent system | Priti Krishtel
Between 2006 and 2016, the number of drug patents granted in the United States doubled -- but not because there was an explosion in invention or innovation. Drug companies have learned how to game the system, accumulating patents not for new medicines but for small changes to exi ... Show More
12m 48s
Oct 2021
Sick Money (Pt 1): Exposing the drug companies' price gouging tactics
In the first of two episodes this week, we're taking a deep dive into the pharmaceutical industry. How much does the medication you take actually cost? What if a company came along and bought the rights to a particular drug and started charging double, triple, or even 10,000 time ... Show More
29m 31s
Jul 2016
The Price of Life
It's hard to put a value on a human life. When you're well, perhaps you don't think about it. But if you're ill, getting access to the right drugs, whatever the cost, is a priority. But the NHS does not have a bottomless pit of money. And some medicines are judged too expensive t ... Show More
28m 7s
Nov 2023
How to Buy DRUGS: The Finances of the Pharmaceutical Industry with Hitha Palepu
On this week's episode of Networth and Chill, I'm joined by author and CEO of Rhoshan Pharmaceuticals, Hitha Palepu to talk drug prices and the pharmaceutical industry. Drug prices are a hot topic these days, and it seems like the cost of life saving medications like insulin and ... Show More
41m 53s
Apr 2025
Interview: 3 reasons why medications are so expensive in the US | Kiah Williams
A century after its discovery, insulin remain essential in treating diabetes, and has a relatively low production cost, with a vial generally costing less than $6 to make. But those in the US pay on average 10 times more than those in other countries— leading some patients to tak ... Show More
28m 56s
Jul 2022
Why are drug prices so high? Investigating the outdated US patent system | Priti Krishtel
Between 2006 and 2016, the number of drug patents granted in the United States doubled -- but not because there was an explosion in invention or innovation. Drug companies have learned how to game the system, accumulating patents not for new medicines but for small changes to exi ... Show More
15m 33s