Research Funding

[Crazyface]

Good Question.

Why, when millions of pounds are given to a certain charity, are Cancer Drugs always expensive? Does this charity research organization never produce anything? Coz if they did, surely that drug would be very cheap as they have no research costs, only production costs. Just a thought.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Cancer drugs are years in the development. The chemists, biologists etc are all well qualified and so well paid, deservedly so. The costs accumulated over the years need to be recovered. Add into that for every drug that makes it to market there will be many more that get so far and then are dropped. Simply put, if the profit is not there for companies then it is not worthwhile for them to do the development. We need pharma companies to keep researching and developing, without them we are stuffed.

Charities pay towards the research in conjunction with pharma companies but it is a joint effort.

Incidentally, there is the odd story that comes out where NICE refuse to use a new drug because it is too expensive and does not offer value. Drug companies need the NHS to buy their drugs so they will need to pitch them at a certain level otherwise they are left with an expensive product and no market. NICE are getting tougher, it is a balance.

 

[Crazyface]

I was told not to give the CR charity as the drug companies pour in untold amounts of cash in to research on this, coz the one that cracks it won't know what to do with the money they'll earn. So what you're saying is that CR give money they get to the pharma companies? I though they had their own research facility?

 

[Deleted member 18645]

I am happy to support most charities especially those involved with cancer care and research but I would not give a penny to Cancer Research having seen how much money they spend on salaries, bonuses, offices, equipment and expenses. It made me sick.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I was told not to give the CR charity as the drug companies pour in untold amounts of cash in to research on this, coz the one that cracks it won't know what to do with the money they'll earn. So what you're saying is that CR give money they get to the pharma companies? I though they had their own research facility?

Sorry my error, I was not clear. The cancer charities do a great deal of research with universities and hospitals in developing methods of defeating cancers. None of these produce drugs however so at some point the pharma companies have to get involved. At what stage I don't know but they can not be excluded completely from the equation. It may be that the charities and pharma companies co fund reserach in universities as well as charities solely funding research. I don't know as an actual fact that they co fund but that would make sense. Duplicating work makes no sense. Pool the resources, pool the brainpower, pool the results.

We should not see pharma companies as the enemy because we need them. They need to be kept in check but without them we are all in trouble.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I do wonder sometimes, whether actual cures for all our deseases and ailments is what those in power (beit political or business) actually want.
If they managed to cure cancer or the common cold say, where would they earn further revenue?

 

[srixon 1]

I do wonder sometimes, whether actual cures for all our deseases and ailments is what those in power (beit political or business) actually want.
If they managed to cure cancer or the common cold say, where would they earn further revenue?

So people in power would rather see their family members die from incurable diseases So that that the country could earn more revenue. I don’t think Tessa Jowel’s family would see it that way.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

So people in power would rather see their family members die from incurable diseases So that that the country could earn more revenue. I don’t think Tessa Jowel’s family would see it that way.

Mo Mowlem as well.
No, I'm not saying individual politicians per se want these illness undefeated, but do you not think certain vested interests are happy with the light at the end of the tunnel never getting closer?

 

[Hobbit]

Good Question.

Why, when millions of pounds are given to a certain charity, are Cancer Drugs always expensive? Does this charity research organization never produce anything? Coz if they did, surely that drug would be very cheap as they have no research costs, only production costs. Just a thought.

I can't see the correlation between the amount of money given and the cost of the drugs. If the raw materials are expensive the drugs will be expensive. If there's 10 years worth of research and clinical trials the drugs will be expensive. If there's 10 years worth of research and clinical trials, and the drug is deemed ineffective the costs will have to be absorbed by the sale of the next drug, including the costs of its own research and clinical trials. The charity doesn't pay for the clinical trials, and the charity might not do some of the research.

I get where you're coming from but it does seem to be a naive question.

 

[srixon 1]

I know what you mean. If there was a cure all drug for cancer treatment they wouldn’t need to research anymore, hence no more funding.

 

[jim8flog]

I am someone who rarely gives to charities just for research. IT doe seem to me that an awful lot of the drugs that are now produced are out of the reach of the common man. If the rich want these drugs let them pay for the research.

Far too many of the charities fail to divert enough of the donations to care and nursing.

My main donations now go to organisations like McMillan Nursing and local hospices.

 

[Kellfire]

Cancer is not one disease, it’s myriad diseases. Curing one would not likely cure another unless we managed to create a treatment that caused cells to always reproduce the way they were designed. If we managed that, we’d essentially eradicate all disease and potentially ageing too.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Following on from Kellfire's post:

There is a lot of research done via Newcastle University / RVI hospital Newcastle (quite a bit done through the Bobby Robson charity) and we get snippets every so often on the local news. There was, an initially, succesful report this week where damaged cells from a cancer sufferer were extracted and then re-programmed. They were then put back into the patient and they successfully fought off the cancer cells. Signs are good. They are talking about customising treatment, we all like a custom fit on here don't we? Anyway, the joy of this treatment is that it is not drug dependent and it does not attack and drain the patient in the way other treaments for cancer can do.

Who knows if a wider trial will work or how long it will take to roll out but it is good to hear there are successes happening out there. Research IS worth funding.