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
Yesterday
Sawbones: Anyone Else Get Pee Shivers?
<p>Cozy up by the fireplace with some weird listener medical questions. What's the difference between a disease and a disorder? Where does the extra blood during pregnancy come from? Did getting my gallbladder removed change my taste buds?  Plus an update on the CDC website's rec ... Show More
49m 58s
Nov 18
Sawbones: Dopamine Detox
<p>The algorithm strikes again, this time telling Justin about a popular wellness trend known as a Dopamine Detox. Dopamine is often associated with pleasure centers and addiction, and certain corners of the internet think we are overflooded with it. But Dr. Sydnee talks about wh ... Show More
51m 24s
Nov 4
Sawbones: Monkey Escape
<p>Sometimes we like to have fun on Sawbones, like diving into a recently reported story of a truck full research animals who escaped and were infectious to humans. But what actually happened, were these monkeys infected, and what is the purpose of monkeys being infected in the n ... Show More
37m 48s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2023
Why One Drug Company Held Back a Better Drug
<p>For decades, drugmakers have argued that patents are critical to bringing new drugs to the market. But in 2004, when a promising H.I.V. treatment emerged, Gilead Sciences decided to slow-walk its release to maximize profit on the company’s existing patents.</p><p>Rebecca Robbi ... Show More
35m 38s
Apr 2021
Why are drug prices so high? Investigating the outdated US patent system | Priti Krishtel
<p>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 ... Show More
12m 48s
Mar 2024
Long Reads: Big Pharma's Toxic Record w/ Nick Dearden
<p>From the HIV/AIDS crisis, to the opioid epidemic, to the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmaceutical corporations have been accused of profiteering at the expense of countless lives. Nick Dearden, director of Global Justice Now and the author of a new book called <a href="https://www.ve ... Show More
53m 19s
Jan 2020
Why are drug prices so high? Investigating the outdated US patent system | Priti Krishtel
<p>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 ... Show More
12m 36s
Jun 2016
GW's Gover on Cannabis-Derived Drug for Rare Epilepsy (Audio)
(Bloomberg) -- Taking Stock with Kathleen Hays and Pimm Fox. GUEST: Justin Gover, CEO of GW Pharmaceuticals, on the drug pipeline for the UK- based company which has been developing drug treatments derived from cannabis for decades. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www ... Show More
8m 27s
Aug 2022
Reading "drug-seeking" patient behavior, with Dr. Casey Grover
A talk with Dr. Casey Grover, addiction specialist and host of the podcast Addiction in Emergency Medicine and Acute Care, about how doctors attempt to determine if a patient is trying to get a drug prescription under false pretenses (e.g., claiming to be in pain to get opioids). ... Show More
53m 3s
Jan 2023
Drugs for Epilepsy
<p>This week, Rob and Zach will be talking about Drugs for Epilepsy.</p><p>We will be discussing the following topics within this episode on Drugs for Epilepsy!</p><ul><li>Classification between Seizures &amp; Epilepsy</li><li>Causes / Pathophysiology</li><li>Mechanism of Anti Ep ... Show More
27m 29s
Apr 2020
On Drugs: Antidepressants
Comedian Jacob Hawley explores the UK drugs scene. This week he hears about the world of antidepressants: Are they overprescribed? How do they work? Who do they work for? He talks to his best mate Rebecca, and comedians Ahir Shah and Angela Barnes about their relationship to medi ... Show More
37m 28s