153,000 for Crofab leaves left complaining about hospital costs.

[whag]

I think it's just proof that the fellow lacked faith.

You always struck me as the snake-handling type.

[Catholicity]

It looks like Crofab is the second-highest drug in BTG's revenue charts. Overall operating costs v. profit isn't the best indicator of patent abuse since we'd want to see the R&D costs, clinical trial costs, etc. v. drug revenue. That said, just under $100 million/year for one drug has me raising an eyebrow at the idea that we're not seeing the abuse of having a single drug on the market.

Brand name v. generic is a worthwhile discussion, too, but it's not a discussion about patent law preventing generics or competitors coming to market, as is the case here.

I would agree that a drug with this high of a cost would bring in this kind of revenue. Here's where supply and demand run huge. This one drug that can be used on all pitviper bites world wide. And its one drug that's hard to make. It would be fair to patent it, and for the price (the low end is veterinary and labratory medicine) the high end is the hospital. Antivenom is more complex than most drugs. A severe reaction is fatal, while the snake bite may or may not be and is given as a risk benefit analysis. BTW. the Profit margin on Crofab is still narrow. With the Revenue they still pay EVERY LAB and their salary and the cost of a snake's upkeep, plus the research and their horses the operating equipment....these are not cheap either.

[Jedidiah]

So I read an article about a gentlemen who was being all stupid and decided the smart thing to do would be to pick up a rattlesnake and get it to pose for a selfie with him. Problem number 1.

Rattlesnakes as you all know are not cooperative and really don't like selfies. I'm not sure they're too fond of being picked up by people either.

Naturally this rattlesnake did what all rattlesnakes (or most) rattlesnakes do when someone annoys them. He (or she) struck. From the description, likely with a full load of venom from the description. Especially if it was aggravated enough or a Juvenile. Now thanks to this man's stupidity he cost the hospital their supply and a neighboring hospital a supply of Crofab. The pharmaceutical charge alone was 83,000. Lesson, don't pick up a wild rattler. Considering that each bite from this species averages 12 vials of Crofab he actually needed more just to survive. 12*5 =60 so he may have needed 75-80k's worth which is closer to 16 vials of the precious medicine.
Crofab isn't just made easy peasy. One has to milk a pit viper, (yield of venom is dependent on the size and type of pit viper) inject a part of the serum into a horse and then make it once the horse's blood has developed the antibodies. Given the time it takes to make Crofab, the cost of a serpent's up keep, vet care horse vet care.... The fact that there is one maker of antivenom, etc.....$5000 per vial generally speaking is probably a base price and not too profitable for the pharmaceutical company either and nor do I blame them.

Just given that The liberal left is up in arms about this particular hospital bill bothers me. A snake bite is VERY costly, True. In this case it was the person's fault. Another issue, the liberal left is making the case out of THIS person's bill. The IDIOT!!!!! He quite frankly reflects an abuse of the human right to be stupid and therefore the neccessary consequence and Cost of said stupidity. It wasn't some poor tourist who accidently got bitten, it was someone who picked up a rattler and is complaining about the expense of their care! ermmm no. Not cool. If you don't want to pay, don't do something that's worthy of a darwin's "hey y'all watch this." Then blame the healthcare system.
Here's the people who did the story then help him get the word out about how much he was charged.

The Post's Spin was this

Source: the Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...business_pop_b

© Copyright Original Source

If you want to see the itemized bill
His local station shows this: [cite=KGTV] SAN DIEGO -- A local man who was nearly killed while trying to take a selfie with a rattlesnake racked up a whopping $150,000 hospital bill.[/KGTV]
http://www.10news.com/news/one-rattl...0k-doctor-bill

To add to the insult The Washington Post Fails to mention it may have been his own rattle snake, and that he was attempting to get a selfie. KGTV is investigating to find out.

The real question here is did he say, "Hold my beer and watch this," before he did the dumb thing.