[sarah]

Yes until the US has a universal healthcare system like what we have here in France (continually rated the best!), drugs will be very expensive still there are scientists like Dr. Slamon seeking real cures. There's a Netflix series "Dirty Money" that has one episode that showcases one egregious company - Valient, the episode I think is "Drug Short" because short sellers brought it down. I wish it had investigated all the companies but that's not how the series works. Good series. The "Cartel Bank" one focusing on HSBC was amazing. Obviously the government should be able to negotiate drug prices, which is against the law now. Until people turn away from greed and how much money they can make and decide it is worthwhile to do good and help everyone, prices of life saving drugs will continue to cost more. In "Dirty Money" a life saving drug that cost relatively little for an orphan disease, suddenly cost $350,000 a year! Basically a death sentence for many. Think if insurance didn't pay for Herceptin? That would be a death sentence for many. What to do about this? The Clintons tried in 1997 to create a universal healthcare system and insurance companies waged a great propaganda campaign that killed it. Bernie Sander voted against that idea back then. Luckily today he seems to be for it but maybe too late? I am so thankful to live in a country that believes healthcare is a right not a privilege and I can state that it's pretty great. I was treated in the US and then in France for cancer and France was more thorough and better. Surprised? and the sicker you are, the more you are covered! You can bet the French government negotiates its drugs. It saddens me that people die because they cannot afford healthcare. I don't know what the solution is. Drug companies need to pay for R&D and make their investors money but patients need to be able to afford the drugs. Should patents be longer? Something needs to change, drugs are too expensive. By the way, many Americans don't know this but the American government pays many times what European universal healthcare countries pay for healthcare - try to explain that! and I can chose my doctor, go to any doctor anywhere in France I want to. an no long waits, when it's urgent, you are taken immediately.