Cost, need questioned in $433-million smallpox drug deal

[Renae]

Reporting from Washington— ​

Over the last year, the Obama administration has aggressively pushed a $433-million plan to buy an experimental smallpox drug, despite uncertainty over whether it is needed or will work.

Senior officials have taken unusual steps to secure the contract for New York-based Siga Technologies Inc., whose controlling shareholder is billionaire Ronald O. Perelman, one of the world's richest men and a longtime ​

Democratic Party

donor.

When Siga complained that contracting specialists at the Department of Health and Human Services were resisting the company's financial demands, senior officials replaced the government's lead negotiator for the deal, interviews and documents show.​

$443 million for a smallpox drug some experts say we don't need - latimes.comThe OBAMAWAY.

 

[rathi]

Smallpox is probably the most deadly taker of lives in human history. On the other hand, the pharma industry is probably the biggest taker of healthcare dollars in human history. It would be worth having an additional line of defense against smallpox, but only at a reasonable price. Funneling half a billion in government contracts for an untested drug does not have an acceptable cost/benefit ratio.

 

[Renae]

Smallpox is probably the most deadly taker of lives in human history. On the other hand, the pharma industry is probably the biggest taker of healthcare dollars in human history. It would be worth having an additional line of defense against smallpox, but only at a reasonable price. Funneling half a billion in government contracts for an untested drug does not have an acceptable cost/benefit ratio.

It's about funneling money into Obama crony pockets.

 

[cpwill]

We have a stockpile already capable of giving every single living breathing soul in the United States of America an inoculation at a cost of $3 a dose.

Just to point out; the PLAN for these guys is to come up with an inoculation that would cost $255 a dose. That's what they're going to give us if things go right.

:doh

we really need to find a way to start sending people to jail for stuff like this.

 

[Temporal]

Smallpox has been eradicated. The only people who officially hold samples of this virus are the United States and Russia, and both have refined it to be much more deadly. If we end up with a fatal smallpox pandemic, it's their fault.

 

[bushinoki]

Temporal, smallpox has not been eradicated. It's still present in many 3rd world countries. All service members have to receive a smallpox vaccination before going to these countries. The wrong person sneaking across our border could actually start a devastating epidemic in our younger non-veteran population.

However, the money to buy all new vaccines is a waste. We are perfectly capable of inoculating most of our population with the supplies we currently have, and treating those who contract it.

 

[Temporal]

^ I must have mistaken that for another virus then. Hmmm.. time to Google.

 

[bushinoki]

There was an outbreak in Southern Afghanistan while I was there. Ended up being fairly small, but it was close enough they double checked to make sure we all had our vaccines.

 

[PeteEU]

It's about funneling money into Obama crony pockets.

Funny you had no problem with this when it was Bush and Cheney doing it at every turn of his administration.. Katrina, Iraq, Afghanistan and so on.

 

[PeteEU]

^ I must have mistaken that for another virus then. Hmmm.. time to Google.

No you were right.. Smallpox has been eradicated. bushinoki is incorrect and had he bothered to read the OP article...

Once feared for its grotesque pustules and 30% death rate, smallpox was eradicated worldwide as of 1978 and is known to exist only in the locked freezers of a Russian scientific institute and the U.S. government. There is no credible evidence that any other country or a terrorist group possesses smallpox.

 

[bushinoki]

Pete, don't get me wrong, I don't think we should be spending $433m on something we don't need, but there are outbreaks of smallpox in various 3rd world countries every year. The article has it wrong. I was in Afghanistan when a natural outbreak happened. Same thing with anthrax. It's a naturally occurring disease, that's why service members get vaccines before they deploy.

 

[American]

We have a stockpile already capable of giving every single living breathing soul in the United States of America an inoculation at a cost of $3 a dose.

Just to point out; the PLAN for these guys is to come up with an inoculation that would cost $255 a dose. That's what they're going to give us if things go right.

:doh

we really need to find a way to start sending people to jail for stuff like this.

As far as I know that is no small pox problem anywhere at this point. And there are only two places on Earth where small pox is kept, the US and Russia.

 

[American]

Funny you had no problem with this when it was Bush and Cheney doing it at every turn of his administration.. Katrina, Iraq, Afghanistan and so on.

Painting out of context with a broad brush is SOP for you.

 

[jimbo]

Funny you had no problem with this when it was Bush and Cheney doing it at every turn of his administration.. Katrina, Iraq, Afghanistan and so on.

Why must it always come down to the presumption that it was all right when Bush did it, and therefore it is OK when Obama does it? For the record, I personally think it is and was wrong when Bush did it, Lincoln did it, Tyler did it, and Washington did it. And now I think it is wrong when Obama does it.