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This is common PhRMA talking point that needs perspective. Large pharmaceutical companies spend twice the their readers h budget on marketing, a good percentage of now is that is spent on patient oriented marketing. (e.g. “Talk your doctor about Xyzzy!”)

If there would be a loss of revenue, any reduction in R & D costs lies purely with c-suite’s priorities.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/02/11/big-p...



They spend on marketing because they are trying to sell as much as possible of the drug during the patented years. If people do not realize there's a superior drug out there, they will never part with the money for the improved treatment


Well.. yes. My point was that a person makes the decision to what to cut. Saying that eeasearch will be cut, is the same as saying marketing über alles. Punting and trying rationalize such a decision as saying “must maximize shareholder profits”, is simply myopic post hoc rationalization.


That's a bad argument because the drugs are heavily marketed regardless of being superior or not.


Why do I get that information from my doctor when I'm outside of US? Why do American doctors just throw antibiotics at you, as soon as you sneeze in their office?(Getting a test for bacterial infection is cheap and fast. No bacteria - no effect by antibiotics.)

There's a lot of issues with drug awareness and appropriateness in US.


Why should pharma companies not be allowed to market their products?


Who said that?




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