Bill Gates taking on diseases

[deltreefitness]

This is the same guy who missed the internet.

Nice gesture, but $250 million will be pocket change. Plus this idea of "throw money at it and we'll find the cure" is no guarantee. In fact, it's silly. If it was plausible, the US government would throw $250 million in a heartbeat if it mean new cures that could cut the costs of healthcare by billions over the next 10 years.

If you really want to find cures -- get more young people into the medical field, improve the flow of global communication, press for tax incentives for medical R&D by private firms, get new drugs passed quicker, and encourage more co-operation among competing medical companies, with agreements on profit-sharing once advances are made.

Unless, this is what he's doing -- and this article just "dumbed it down" for the average reader.

Either way, his heart's in the right place -- but i don't know if it'll amount to anything in the long run.

I'm always wary when i read the words "Pledging" with nothing more detailed provided after that.

There isn't money in cures. Drug companies make way more offering "treatments"

 

[Razorguns]

There isn't money in cures.

Invent a "cure" for cancer, and walk into downtown wall street and ask for investors. Let us know how many billions get thrown at you.

 

[redguru]

I wonder if any vaccine he creates will crash?

 

[bran987]

Gates is not willing all his funds to his heirs. I am sure they will be set up nicely, but dude and his wife are true philanthropist.

he has said each child will get .0002 (.02%) of his wealth

It works out to $10 million of todays dollars.

he wants them to have enough money to do whatever they would love to do, but not enough money so that they can do nothing.

 

[NJjuice22]

Invent a "cure" for cancer, and walk into downtown wall street and ask for investors. Let us know how many billions get thrown at you.

how you figure, that would only be the case if the cure meant you need to take "X" for the rest of the life and you wouldnt die from cancer,aids, etc. A one time cure for something like AIDS would be devastating to the drug companies.

sure, investors would see a huge opportunity to make money, but the people with the power wouldnt allow it.

 

[Razorguns]

how you figure, that would only be the case if the cure meant you need to take "X" for the rest of the life and you wouldnt die from cancer,aids, etc. A one time cure for something like AIDS would be devastating to the drug companies.

The profits that one company could make in one shot with a captive desperate market would be mind-boggling.

And people will be getting cancer forever, globally -- so you can always keep selling that $250,000 pill as long as you want. Forever.

What a morbid negative view of the people who sweat blood 80 hours a week trying to make people's lives better!

And by understand that, you also now undersatnd why i'm ALL FOR highly increased free-market drug prices. It helps pay for the R&D and encourages advanced cures and treatments.

Makes sense now to have $200 tablets w/o government interference doesn't it?

 

[NJjuice22]

The profits that one company could make in one shot with a captive desperate market would be mind-boggling.

And people will be getting cancer forever, globally -- so you can always keep selling that $250,000 pill as long as you want. Forever.

What a morbid negative view of the people who sweat blood 80 hours a week trying to make people's lives better!

And by understand that, you also now undersatnd why i'm ALL FOR highly increased free-market drug prices. It helps pay for the R&D and encourages advanced cures and treatments.

Makes sense now to have $200 tablets w/o government interference doesn't it?

you must work for them.

 

[redguru]

I think Medical patents are only 7 years, so they could make generics after that time

 

[GoldenDelicious]

I think Medical patents are only 7 years, so they could make generics after that time

8 i think....unless it changed

currently a single drug costs 500 mill to develop, so it isnt like gates is going to drown the problem in money - but someone who has built an organisation like his and likely has some of the best labour money can buy might set up a successful drug company/research apparatus, if its philanthropic - we all saw how quickly the SARS issue was dealt with when everyone wanted to work together, rather than keep their findings secret (in case you dont know, years worth of progress was made in months, because of disclosure)

anyway, we'll see

cheers

 

[biteme]

Bill Gates is a Christian. Think of that. None of you would be on here tonight if not for a Christian man.