Drugmakers shift more production outside USA

[Lorien]

Do you think Dubya is concerned about the "safety" of these drugs?:eyes:


Drugmakers shift more production outside USA
By Jim Hopkins, USA TODAY

SAN FRANCISCO — MedImmune, scouting sites for a $75 million flu vaccine factory, considered the USA. Instead, the Maryland drugmaker chose Britain. It already had a factory near Liverpool, acquired in 2002. Plus, compared with the USA, wages are lower there — big draws for a risky $1 billion drug launch.

More U.S. drug firms are shifting manufacturing out of the country in search of lower costs and government sweeteners. South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan have joined Ireland and other nations courting drug giants and the new generation of biotechs.
But critics, citing the sudden loss of half the USA's flu vaccine when British regulators yanked Chiron's Liverpool factory license, say offshoring puts too much foreign control over vital drug supplies. That could be devastating in a flu pandemic if foreign governments seized U.S.-bound vaccines.
"I don't think you want to outsource the public health," says Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind.

More: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/drugs/2004-10-19-moving-production_x.htm

[movonne]

1. How will we know that they are not from 3rd world countries???

bush did tell us that coming from Canada that we would not know if they were 3rd world countries...

[ladybugg33]

2. It's all about HUGE profits. Not decent profits.

No risk, no accountability.
Wonder what would happen if people just didn't take the shot?
Wonder what will happen if these "made outside the USA" vaccines are contaminated and cause deaths?

[havocmom]

3. Would these be the same drug companies who insist imported drugs

aren't safe? And if inspectors in England hadn't been on the ball, the drug companies would have managed a self fulfilling prophecy. (Or is it 'profit-see' in the instance?)

[Lorien]

4. They think Canada is "Third world"

but have no problem with S. Korea?

It's all about the Benjamins, once again.

[RebelYell]

5. Guess what

I buy antibiotics on line from Thailand for my dog (much cheaper, no Rx needed). They're marked "Merck", in English. The box is printed in Thai. That tells me that either Merck makes them overseas and doesn't have the quality issues like they would have if they were made here. Or, they were made here and shipped there. Either way, they're less than 20% the cost if I bought them here.

A nasty letter from Customs always accompanies the shipment. Ohhh, I'm so scared.