Barely Contained Rage: An Open Letter to Johnson & Johnson

[@vlogbrothers]

BIG BIG NEWS: THE STOP TB PARTNERSHIP HAS ANNOUNCED SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATIONS WITH JOHNSON & JOHNSON TO MAKE GENERIC BEDAQUILINE AVAILABLE IN ALMOST EVERY COUNTRY WITH A HIGH BURDEN OF TUBERCULOSIS: www.stoptb.org/news/global-drug-facility-update-access-to-bedaquiline But we are still waiting on them to understand the details. Ask them for the details: Tell them on facebook: facebook.com/jnj/ Tell them on instagram: instagram.com/jnj/?hl=en This is an incredible day. Obviously TREMENDOUS work still to do in improving access and diagnostics in tuberculosis treatment, but wow wow wow bedaquiline is going to be so much more affordable in almost every country. (There are a few countries where there is complexity, but even there rays of hope have emerged in the last day.) THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR TB SURVIVORS. -John

[@SaltFreeSea]

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[@emh6021]

What market would you suggest we choose for the CREDO report?

[@jayspeidell]

Doxx the executives and protest at their houses.

[@CheeseBallsNBeanDip]

@@emh6021 following

[@Katie-hh9eu]

@@emh6021 I got stuck on that too

[@fishface01992]

I want to contextualize John's point made at 3:30. I'm a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana and I can tell you (even though Ghana's economy is in its own unique rough patch) the price of $1.50 for one pill (in a several months long treatment plan) is absolutely outrageous for most people living in West Africa. $1.50 translates to about 17 Ghana Cedi. 17 cedi is enough to buy 17 balls of kenkey, which can comfortably feed a child in my village for about three days. It's enough to buy half a month supply of condoms or one pack of menstrual pads. It's enough to buy a seat on a bus to take you over 25 miles. It's enough to buy three pills of a dewormer I'm currently taking because people get many other diseases they don't plan to. 25 cedi is the price of a health insurance coverage for four years, and even that many villagers don't see as a worthwhile investment because money is very, very tight. People would wince at having to pay 17 cedi once for a drug, let alone having to pay for 4-6 pills every day for several months. Many people in this part of the world choose to tough it out and die seemingly abruptly, and it's largely due to the cost of medical treatment.

[@redfailhawk]

Thank you for your personal insight. This makes it much more real, as a person in a region where Tuberculosis isn't prevalent, in understanding just how expensive and prohibitively inaccessible it is.

[@SylviaWrites]

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[@Vxjx15]

Thank you for the much needed context!! Something that is a burdensome cost to low income people in places like the US can be downright cost prohibitive in the global south, and people may not realize that without putting it into terms like this. Also thank you for your work with the Peace Corp!

[@rebeccamari]

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[@sharonfieldstone]

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[@flemmingpedersen567]

Three weeks ago: "I eh am not great at this CEO stuff." This week: "I am a CEO and I will use the combined might of all I possess and the internet itself to crush your puny, multi billion dollar company if you don't seize your selfish greed." If it continues like this, they will have a new non-profit medicinal company by the time Hank is ready to return.

[@jrenema]

Poopgpt

[@bwaychick20]

I will be the first person to apply for a job then

[@crains8087]

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[@mollusckscramp4124]

@@bwaychick20 I'll be second!

[@Hillary429]

Love that John is fully embracing his new CEO confidence to make shit happen

[@get.the.papers.get.the.papers]

Absolutely, I heard him say “as a fellow CEO” and I was like, “damn, it’s about time man’s finally taking his position in stride!”

[@t3hsis324]

I'm here for it. Sat. I will make sure that I don't buy j&j shit anywhere I can. I will buy STORE BRAND in protest. F you J&J.

[@gillsmoke]

Right? It's being thrust into the deep end and finding he's not drowning that got him here. May our fight against TB win. We eradicated smallpox there's no reason anyone had to die of TB.

[@marcellastname6862]

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[@crains8087]

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[@314159vedic]

In 1944 my grandmother caught TB. She probably caught it working on the trolley. She unknowingly passed it onto my mother who was 2. By the time they were both diagnosed it was too late for my grandmother to be effectively treated but my mother was treated. Her mother died 9 years later from TB. Those antibiotics saved my mother's life.

[@nihilismistheonlyway4680]

Oh no that sucks. Wish people would understand just how awful and contagious it is. I was exposed as a child from my newly immigrated family from Vietnam but somehow we were lucky.

[@catyroxy740]

As a person with a very weak immune system living in Moldova ( one of the countries mentioned that the drug wont be distributed to) THANK YOU for making this video. Unfortunetely here in Moldova prices keep going up on medicine to the point where you seriously cannot afford them. We cant let big companies capitalize on the health of millions of people so I urge everyone to PLEASE listen and send letters to j&j, otherwise so many people will have to suffer , we already live in a poor country, people need access to health care

[@asdfguiwsertyuio3689]

I live in Australia with multiple chronic illnesses at age 24 and I know how lucky I am to have rebated access to all specialist doctors I require and also only pay $6.30 per script for my life-saving medicine. If I didn't have this privilege and I was in your position I would be in a serious amount of pain and rendered functionally and physically completely disabled and unable to have any kind of life outside my bed. I'm so sorry this isn't your experience. Access to the healthcare every/any human requires should be a human-right and it makes me furious that that isn't the case. People here complain when they have to wait more than 30mins for a doctors appointment! They don't stop and think how lucky they are to have access to a doctor at all and that makes me furious too. I wish I could help you and I wish things were different. I know I'm just a random stranger but my heart genuinely aches for you. I sincerely hope things get better for you as soon as possible. Hang in there and keep fighting ♥

[@catyroxy740]

@@asdfguiwsertyuio3689 i also have a lot of chronic pain and it's so weird because a lot of doctors don't even acknowledge it, or blame it on weight / me being a girl or hormonal issues, we have limited access on medicine overall and most people here have a very: you're always in pain because you're lazy mentality ( since we're a post Sovietic URSS country) older people are very pro work all the time and never complain. I'm lucky my parents are understanding but I'm not complaining here, I'm just sharing a point of view since you're probably not that familiar with it. Thank you so much for your kind words + sharing your experience , just because you're a position of privilege doesn't mean you're at fault at all, you're still in pain and you're still struggling, it's not fair to compete for who's in a worse position , I also hope you'll be better and keep fighting 💛

[@aratosm]

Americans should not be subsidizing medicine for the 3rd world. If you don't want to pay, you obviously don't need it enough.

[@Elisadoesstuff]

Holy shit a fellow moldovan

[@yammmit]

honestly in my opinion that sounds like a skill issue for you. the weak are not meant to survive

[@reinamiranova8792]

As a lab scientist who is preparing to be proficient in testing TB, thank you for sharing this information. This is abhorrent.

[@tammystockley-loughlin7680]

Thanks for doing what you do. Positive vibes from New Hampshire, remember to be kind to each other and yourself during these trying times.

[@genericyoutubeaccount579]

All the Vaccine corporations robbed you blind for a placebo.

[@cjgroom109]

This is corporate capitalism

[@PTSD_Guts]

@@tammystockley-loughlin7680 Would saying 'positive' vibes to someone who tests biological samples mean the same xD

[@asdfguiwsertyuio3689]

@@aleks-wy6uf You're wanting the pills to stay at a price that will kill millions of people? I sincerely hope I misinterpreted your comment mate.

[@Vega921]

My great grandmother died of tuberculosis just a few years before penicillin became available and my grandma’s first memories are of being held up to the sanitarium window to wave to her mother. It’s heartbreaking to know that this same story could be repeated with children’s first memories being waving to their dying mothers just a few years before a patent expires that would mean they could have afforded to live.

[@sally2578]

Thanks for sharing that story. My children’s grandfather died young, in the 60s, of TB that did not respond to the treatments available in his days. They say he was a wonderful man that did not get to raise his children. The stories of the visits to the sanatorium are very touching. Thinking that scenario and others just as sad are happening all over the world but could be avoided is heartbreaking. Joining the campaign to make J&J aware of the opinion of those who care.

[@sophierobinson2738]

My grandmother’s brother was in the sanitarium in Eddyville, KY, with TB. He was well enough to be allowed to come outside and sit at the far end of a picnic table to visit with us. A month later he was declared well and went home.

[@hugbloom2664]

I'm sorry that your family carries that heartbreaking story. And I agree with you. All for profits ??🤯

[@FlyingTurtle111]

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[@1_Jesse_1]

It is honestly astonishing how we continue to let people die by the millions because we wanna make some extra money. We NEED to be better, and I hope we will be. Thank you John

[@anniedaynoww]

It's not we? It is always the same people, the wealth hoarders at the top who rake in hundreds of millions while pricing sick people out of life.

[@heehoopeanut420]

For real, we the average people, aren't even profiting off of this. Only the big wigs in charge are. A handle full of people getting rich off of letting people die😔.

[@Jake-Day]

Blame the Government. They’re the ones who allow this and enforce it.

[@bigkirbyhj666]

@@Jake-Day Blame the american people for it is their will that keeps things the way it is.

[@gabotron94]

It's not "we" (as in humanity)... it's the greedy few

[@catherinetestaverde1907]

At the beginning of the video I was thinking "What can I do to help? Where's the call to action!?" And moments later he said "And that's where we come in nerdfighteria!" Thank you John for using your platform to fight the good fight. Let's save some lives!!!

[@BrokeNdisAbled]

Tysm for using your platform to support ppl who need pharmaceuticals! (My partner was on a trial…long story short: it helps spinal cord injuries! Yet…was only approved in another country; he breaks my heart b/c that was the ONLY THING that helped and I can see he’s given up hope about the only medicine that helped. I have SO MANY stories… tysm for this video.

[@ritalaurennoel4584]

Hi John. I spent a lot of time carefully drafting my complaint and then submitted it via the Credo Integrity complaint portal. Thank you for bringing this situation to the light - as a US taxpayer whose dues were no doubt apportioned to fund the research for this drug, I feel it's time to end Johnson & Johnson's seemingly unnecessary SPP and to allow generics onto the market.

[@asdfguiwsertyuio3689]

Good on you 👏👏👏❤❤❤

[@untappedinkwell]

Thank you for your support! Our efforts and the efforts of the scientists and patients over at StopTB and the GDF have worked! Announcement came out a few hours ago! The generic versions are going to be made available. 🎉

[@TheSwauzz]

If people looked into the history of these long standing huge conglomerate companies, they would be floored by the amount of horrible business/safety practices and market manipulation to essentially destroy competition. Patents on medications are just the tip of the iceberg imo. I've got some complaints to send in too, for sure.

[@eliedgecomb4903]

You did it. You freakin did it. My hero!

[@eliedgecomb4903]

For the Record, I love you just because you tried. Just because you took the stand. But I’ll cheer for the victory ✌🏻!!!

[@eliedgecomb4903]

Pss Just noticed I wasn’t subscribed, which is BS because I was. Watch your numbers and don’t assume they’re dropping because of disagreement. Looks like monkey biz.

[@mnm1273]

It's amazing.

[@Sunny__J]

Four years ago I needed to be screened for TB before getting accepted into a residential mental health program. It felt so odd because I thought it was a relatively unheard of illness nowadays. But watching your videos, and reading your tweets on it, it’s honestly horrifying that we don’t hear more about it 😞 Thank-you for speaking out about this, and educating us as you do it!

[@binimbap]

I've worked directly with homeless populations, and going into it I also thought TB was a thing of the past and totally unheard of for decades, but you wouldn't believe how outrageously common it is among homeless populations (especially with a past instance of incarceration or friends who were). To make it worse, they also often are infected with HIV, which lowers their immunity even further and can make untreated TB even more of a deadly disease. It's absurd that we, as a society, let this things happen. We should have eradicated this in all populations, not leave vulnerable ones to deal with it!

[@guppy0536]

Ive been screen for tb many times in my life

[@BinaryArmorOnline]

I think the coolest thing about this is how easy you made it to voice an opinion to J&J for anyone who sees this video. I just submitted a report to them. Thank you for helping me learn how to be a force for good in the world, John!

[@quaxo1]

Thank you, John. Your actions, drawing attention to this, is bringing change. It's just a start, but it's a step in the right direction. The world needs more people like you and Hank.

[@bigmike-]

I work in advertising. I haven't had the... "pleasure"... of working on anything for J&J, but I've done work for their competitors across dozens of different markets. And... the only compelling case that can be made to them (and any other company that they compete against) is a case of money: Unless people's behaviors *directly* threaten their bottom line, they won't change a thing about their ethics nor their business practices. That's it - that's got to be "the" strategy, because they don't (and won't) care about anything else. They don't care about PR or optics, nor do they care about public sentiment. At this point, they don't even really care about regulatory bodies because they (like their competitors) simply find "creative" ways to grease those wheels - often times outright breaking the law in doing so (which always goes unpunished, because... well, it's the very regulatory bodies they're indirectly bribing that would be the ones responsible to do things about it in the first place). At this point, obviously, it becomes hard to say "I'm going to boycott J&J" and then follow through, especially if you're a person who's dependant on their drugs to, you know, live. *But* - in all other instances - if people want to see change, then they need to not only demand change, but show companies like J&J what happens when they *don't* change: Don't buy their products, and don't buy products from companies that are partnered with J&J or utilize J&J somewhere in their supply chain. The more we, collectively, work to threaten their bottom line, the more willing they will be to change their behavior.

[@tessiepinkman]

Right on the money (no pun intended). We have to go after their profit. I haven't touched anything from them in quite a lot of years now, even though they are *huge* in Scandinavia where I live. Most of my friends don't use their products either, but we can only do so much. We need a BIG ass boycott from people who are in a position where they *can* boycott them. I'm not suggesting that people who need their products, and there isn't any generic or otherwise equal product to what they use, should stop taking their medicine. But if there's an equal product to what they are using - SWITCH! (As long as it's truly equal). You don't need those exact wipes, there are hundreds of others. You don't need that exact baby oil, there are hundreds of others, and so on. That's where I stand.

[@narcarpology]

EXACTLY.....HURT J&J's pockets and not buy their products immediately over a period of time.....

[@bigmike-]

@@tessiepinkman exactly. It's also important to boycott their partner companies - that way they lose multiple revenue streams at the same time.

[@icedirt9658]

Ok well since not only are most drugs sold by them, but also most health and hygiene and wellness products, what I am hearing is I cannot affect their bottom line as they essentially have a monopoly on essentials. I’m also not hearing that it is time for an armed uprising against-and I say this unironically- our corporate overlords. When does that option go on the table?

[@rebecculousrk]

As I approach old age and reflect on how this country has changed over the course of my lifetime, I really appreciate you and the message you put out there. When I was a teenager in the 80’s you could still lose your job, apartment and family if you were outed. Sexism, racism and homophobia were far more prevalent than they are now. Women can and do have better access to good jobs, but we still have a long way to go. One thing that’s been changing at an exponentially faster pace is the corporatization of EVERYTHING, and the drive for profit that’s destroying small businesses, creating homogeneous communities, individual lives suffer. Small businesses suffer. Businesses are for People. The economy exists to serve the human race. But we’ve forgotten all about caring for each other, in a big way. When I was a kid, we were taught civic duty. That we, as individuals, have a duty to our community. We care for the elderly, the disabled, the vulnerable. We pick up litter, we volunteer in community gardens. We care for and about others. When we see an injured person or a stray animal or a car accident or a house on fire. We HELP each other. There is still a powerful current of this running through us. I’m totally on board. This is important! Preventable deaths or biggER profit? ❤❤❤

[@karenneill9109]

The balance between monetary capital and social capital has gone out of whack. It started with Regan’s trickle down economics, the idea that strong corporations lead to strong communities. It didn’t work. In order for capitalism to function, that balance must be restored. The idea that massive salaries to executives and massive profits are okay needs to stop.

[@WildFyreful]

"Companies exist to serve the human race." I'd like to put this another way: "Companies exist to provide a service to the human race." I keep clapping back with this line at people with those who insist "cOmPAnIEs ExISt tO mAkE a PRofIT." If the vast majority of a life-changing/life-saving/life-altering *thing* no matter what it is, cannot access that service due to exorbitant prices or some other inaccessibility, then they are not actually providing a service.

[@Tofu_va_Bien]

@@karenneill9109 Capitalism is functioning exactly how it’s supposed to. To quote Warren Buffett: “There’s class warfare, all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.”

[@karenneill9109]

@@Tofu_va_Bien Of course a ridiculously rich person would say that. He can’t possibly spend all his money, and his family will be set for their lives too. Why does he need more? It’s selfish, and imbalanced when there are hungry people living on the street. It’s repugnant.

[@Tofu_va_Bien]

@@karenneill9109 For sure, but capitalist society rewards people for behaving this way. It’s repugnant, but unsurprising.

[@Saucy2112]

I don’t know anyone personally effected by TB but I will be sure to call in and inform J&J of their poor choices.

[@shakeyj4523]

My child played volleyball in High School in the US. Her coach ended up having a supposedly dormant case of TB. We were upset. I also know of people coming from other countries, mainly south America who have had it. This is why employers require the TB test every few years.

[@WenzelSays]

I mean. We are all personally affected by TB everyday. And have been for thousands of years. Through how it has shaped, is shaping, and will shape our world by the lives it has ended far too soon, by the money and infrastructure spent on keeping it in poor countries and the fact that your money is going to research for treatments for drugs to fight drug resistant TB because of unequal access. That's your money. That's your parents and grandparents money. Would you rather it be able to go to like fighting climate change or something? TB affects us all.

[@Netsmile]

I think you just saved a couple million lives.

[@NMDunstan]

This is why I love you two.

[@matt8291A1]

I hope that if I ever have a platform such as Hank & John, I'm able to make as much of a difference in the world as they do. I have massive respect for both of them.

[@lizwrites2463]

Sometimes I forget that Vlogbrothers isn’t one of the “biggest” channels around (subscribers/views) because it truly is one of the most impactful channels I’ve ever encountered. This community makes so much meaningful stuff happen, and has been doing so for decades now.

[@maaz1931]

Thank youuuu for talking about this!!

[@Redkrovvy]

I could not be more proud of you for raging against the machine and CHANGING THE WORLD!!!!!!

[@StrawHatsAreFashionable]

I don't think I've ever written a formal complaint to anyone, but this really is the last drop. Thanks for letting us know, John.

[@mabru9816]

Oh I boycotted J&J years ago. Thank you for reaffirming that I continue to be correct in doing so.

[@philbayer]

I just filed a report on the ethicspoint site you shared, John. I somewhat arbitrarily picked a country for the market in the form. It would be helpful if you shared a bit clearer suggestion on how to most effectively file a report of our concerns.

[@artisticautistic]

I just message J&J online. It took about four minutes, maybe five. Super simple. I chose the most relevant categories and clearly said that greed isn't worth the lives this will cost. The company will remain huge no matter what they do here so do the right thing. Do No Harm. Thanks, Vlogbrothers!

[@orca21fernando]

My faith in humanity is hanging on my a thread because of people like you. Thankyou.

[@Dimar518]

I saw this video an went to the link to help fight the goof fight and they posted that as of yesterday 7/13/23, J&J is no longer looking to extend their patent and will let it expire. Great news!

[@Jenvick]

I just realized you're absolutely right. I buy name brand Neosporin, Bandaid, and Baby Powder. Not to mention, OH MY GOD, the amount of Tylenol I go through. I should get a voice in this! Thanks for alerting us to the problem.

[@xxsnow_angelxx3953]

Sharing this to more groups and bugging my family about it! Let us have a seldom stand and fast to feel them..

[@alexistai5456]

Submitted via the ethics link. Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Coming off a pandemic so recently, I hope attention to this public health issue will change J&J’s minds and force them to stay accountable to the values they espouse.

[@altGoolam]

As a South African who works with homelessness and sees the impact of these policies on the most vulnerable people in our society, I have to thank you for taking a stand that a mostly corporate-funded civil society groups in our country are struggling to pursue.

[@josephmurray370]

You guys have the power to start and support movements. Thank you so much for this video. Please keep supporting the disenfranchised, the silenced, please keep using your voice to speak up, and especially to make space, for those whose voices aren't listened to.

[@greenandsunny]

Thank you so much for spreading awareness of this issue! I've submitted a report on their page and will continue to follow this issue. I think this community, combined with others that we inform and who already know from other sources can help J&J follow their Credo in this situation and save millions of lives.

[@jimmyryan5880]

In the 1950s TB killed about 30% of my town and it's not some tiny village.

[@ellap6828]

I told them!! Submitted an inquiry and on Insta. Now I am a college student but I will follow up by not buying any J&J products until this is stopped!!

[@evanbroaddus5346]

Using your platform for public awareness and justice. Hell yes.

[@anacondrat3157]

This is truly tragic. Thank you, John, for bringing it up! Complaint sent.

[@liamfmackle]

God you're such a powerful force for good! It's compelling to be witness

[@DarkKitarist]

Evil pharmaceutical company being evil... I cannot believe it...

[@emmadore8376]

I feel like these companies are so far removed from the communities most affected by their decisions. I live in South Africa and family friend's son had to go away for 6 months because he came close to dying from spinal TB. It was terrifying a- kid less than 10 years old walking around bent like an L, body perpendicular to his legs. The unfairness of it all is immeasurable because they didn't know if they could afford the treatment and he would have died. Luckily he was saved but he likely wouldn't have contracted it if not for overcrowding and poverty in townships and public transport.

[@anotherrandomperson9174]

The fact that we see an update saying they’re entering negotiations brings me hope that change can still come to this world.

[@aleshandsome3705]

John Green, how far you have come since the days where I watched your Crash Course videos ❤

[@WillowBeee]

It is terrifying that business strategies are more important than human lives, why are we so messed up.

[@JulieHerrick]

That ethicspoint website was not working a few hours ago, then a little while later, it started giving a 404 error, and now says that it's down for "scheduled maintenance". Um... sure.

[@Anonymous-ol1sp]

Replace the number at the end of the URL with “91305” and it will work. They changed the URL, presumably to make John’s link unusable.

[@JulieHerrick]

I'm getting the same maintenance message with 91305. I'll try again later. But in the meantime I messaged them on Facebook. Thanks for the tip.

[@danaward9975]

Lord I pray that you change the hearts of those in charge, that this patent does not go through, that people will be saved by the hands of other people, that people turn from their greed, their selfish ways, and turn toward You🙏🏻

[@oliviatusa2259]

Thank you for sharing this important topic

[@mollysequoia7127]

It’s disgusting that they can withhold medication FULL STOP

[@lauramohr9071]

I agree with you 100%. It’s wrong on so many levels, however nothing we do will change their minds. Only legislation will stop pharmaceutical companies from doing this. I worked for a pharmaceutical wholesaler back in the 90s. I was horrified to learn how pharmaceutical companies not only extended their patents with added “pen caps” but would often buy out or sue companies that tried to make a generic. In most cases a pharmaceutical company can hold on to a patent for 25 to 30 years. They claim they need to hold this patent for this length of time to cover R&D.

[@comettripper]

The thing about privileged people is that we always choose to fight with our words when someone else's life is at stake bc we somehow still believe that people who are responsible for that many deaths are doing this bc they are unaware and naive. Even innocent. And this is a problem. These big companies have way more power over us than we have over them, so I find it hard to believe they would care about a million angry letters from random people when they have so much support from people who actually have tons of money, marketing strategies and own a lot of other brands we might not even know are related to them. But we don't know that, bc we are used to having coorporations be nice to us and we overestimate our power. I hope this isn't the whole plan, bc the pressure on them would need to be much bigger than this for it to make a difference. And "asking nicely" for someone to please stop allowing people to die feels a little naive. They know what they're doing. And we know why they're doing it. We're just not comfortable admitting how messed up things are because we don't know how to change them in a big scale. And we're not listening to the people who do, because from our privileged view, they seem too radical or too angry.

[@CircleThinker]

I mean yes, but we only have our words to fight with. Unless you work for J&J or knows someone who works for J&J there's not much more that practically we can do, but doing something even if you feel like it's not going to achieve much is better than doing nothing because you've already decided that it's futile. If we tell enough people who tell enough people and people start to boycott their products or sell their shares then it will actually hit them in the way that they care about. I agree with you, they've already decided 6 million deaths is a fair price to pay for them to keep earning on the patent for another 4 years, so we have to hit them in the capitalism where they will actually sit up and listen. And that's not an easy feat but using your words to call them out and tell them that what their doing isn't OK is a small thing you can do to spread the message. It's probably not the whole plan, but it's the bit of the plan that we (Nerdfightaria) can be a part of, whilst the folks who are experts in this sort of thing ALSO dig in and fight. If you can do more than just words then great, do more than just words in whatever capacity you have, but if not at least do that because it's better than doing nothing at all.

[@comettripper]

@@CircleThinker Yes, that's why I'm including myself when I talk about privileged people. But I'd like to remind others that there *are* other options and we need to support people taking more direct approaches. A lot of the time ppl who do things within the system complain about those who break the rules in their protest, bc they say it's "too much" or "pointless violence". Seeling your shares might hit them, but only rich people who have shares in the first place would be able to do that. And to boycot them would be very difficult bc they own A Lot of other brands and a lot of things people can't go without. Just sayin, if you guys see people breaking/stealing their stuff or actually protesting in public in places they're being sold... Remember why they're literally fightining. Remember that lives are at stake. And this isn't an exagerated reaction. We gotta support people who are showing their anger too, bc they have a good reason to put their safety in danger for this.

[@cattt6985]

The fact that such significant progress has been made gives me hope for humanity.

[@livingdedd]

I definitely won’t be buying anything J&J anymore until they live up to their credo. This is a good message, thank you for informing us

[@avalonperez3806]

The crimes of large coorperations should not be overlooked. Just because an act is legal does not make it ethical, this is a form of murder.

[@Otek_Nr.3]

Can't wait for the inevitable "But tuberculosis isn't real!", or "Think about the jobs/ children/ American values!"

[@merrymata2547]

They are not in the business of saving people, they are in the money making business.

[@sclair2854]

Reminder! If you have time to browse the comments by New you have time to fill out the ethicspoint form :) it took me less than 3 minutes!

[@vlogbrothers]

+++++++

[@thewholehealthlab]

This is why I love y’all

[@Beefareeno]

“Another reason is that all human lives are equally valuable and it’s completely unacceptable that this year 1.6 million will die of a curable disease.”

[@havocsTeacher]

It truly feels like this kind of thing is only thought about by patients in need of medicine and their families. My mother is diabetic and every day I worry about her because it's like prices for her insulin and needles rise every day. These companies take advantage of vunerable people so they can make a quick buck and it's disgusting.

[@mini3mayhem]

In science, we share. To try and hoard knowledge for profit at the expense of scores of human lives is not only immoral, it is chillingly criminal.

[@AmbeamTM]

OMG John I'm staggered! Did you just save 6,000,000 lives?

[@audiofunkdialect]

The word innovation is tossed around like a loose joint. What it actually means is when you create something new that changes humanity going forward forever.

[@gxsr5724]

This is great info thank you

[@RoyalKnightVIII]

Surely the masters will reconsider if we ask nicely!

[@xaininpc5625]

I used to work in a pharmacy well over 20 yrs ago. I remember drug patents back then lasting 17 years, which seemed insane. You telling me drug patents actually got LONGER over the last few decades instead of shorter?

[@pipebomb717]

Did this guy just say Johnson and Johnson should worry about their “trusted reputation”? Like.. it’s Johnson and Johnson, anyone that knows them knows they don’t care about their reputation

[@eluanlien6940]

Very important video

[@rahrah527]

It's J&J. They'll never change. They're just modern day Umbrella corp

[@rainonyourfishes]

J&J took down their online report portal and now only offers an email address. Hoping that's a good sign in terms of the impact of this video, but worried this additional barrier to feedback will slow the reports enough that they can ignore them. Does anyone have an email template/suggestion (in GDocs, perhaps)?

[@spo_okyspic3]

Bump

[@iloveplasticbottles]

JnJ needs to do the right thing.

[@fearisthemind-killer]

Wow. It's pretty sad it has come to this.

[@Idiotsincarshere]

This worked quick, as I expected it would.

[@drewbabe]

private property must be abolished

[@Jack-zj1ug]

That’s a serious uphill battle

[@paulmichaud2042]

Half my Twitter is Liverpool preseason and the other half is you absolutely torching J&J for immoral patent strategies…very nice work John

[@nts4906]

@@rianmulcahy7200only one matters at all

[@xmlthegreat]

If only the torching was physical instead of metaphorical.

[@BlueManIan]

+

[@elijahharrison4164]

+

[@andrecarpenter2432]

Wonderfuk

[@ScarryGargoyle]

An influencer using their voice to save lives. This is what I’ve been waiting for. Thank you. Let’s all come together. We have too! Hopefully by, commenting, and liking the algorithm will pick this shit up faster.

[@verity3616]

And let's keep doing it. What better community than a group of *nerd* fighters to fight for reform? Heck, let's take on climate change and other challenges next.

[@strongblackcoffee9573]

The bigger deeper problem is capitalism and the profit motive. Hopefully Hank and John figure it out and take a stand.

[@ScarryGargoyle]

@@strongblackcoffee9573 agreed.

[@Goofy8907]

Except he's passively being part of the problem by not questioning the system and instead acting like this is an individual issue to solve

[@Goofy8907]

​@@strongblackcoffee9573thank you! ❤

[@juliescott4473]

As someone who used to work for J&J, I can confirm the upper management always prioritizes profits over people, including thier own employees which is why thier turnover is ridiculous if you look into it. So yes, most of the employees also wish thier corporate overlords gave a single care about actually saving lives, but have very little power to make that happen. I left a few years ago and have zero interest in ever working for them again. It's also really difficult to boycott them because they own an INSANE number of brands (seriously things you would never guess) and you can't just stop taking your meds.

[@GigaBoost]

Of course they do. They're a corporation. That's how corporations work

[@sharongerlach8792]

That is so sad. I desperately want this not to be true. May someone at J&J prove her wrong just this once!

[@ampthebassplayer]

That's what frustrating about most industries. It's almost impossible to vote with your wallet because they basically have a monopoly on so many products. I'd love to avoid buying from unethical companies, but then that leaves almost no options. Between Nestle, J&J, and General Mills, they basically own the entire grocery store.

[@sl4983]

How that's not your real name

[@nihil1]

@@GigaBoost one of the worst aspects of the system is this, corporations work that way and HAVE to work that way. Mgmt is mandated to work in interests of shareholders, who will, in turn, expect short term profits. A lot of shares are owned by investment funds and banks that buy those shares with money from many different parties, This maximally dilutes the stake for everyone and makes the human aspect of "owning" a company so far removed that it is impossible to find someone to care. This is why regulations are so important. But then, mgmt will (again, in best shareholder interest) lobby politicians to keep regulations at bay.

[@liketheduck]

I love this, John. Thank you for mobilizing this community. "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not."

[@stimela1000]

I'm originally from South Africa, where TB is a big problem. In one town where I lived, there was a whole hospital dedicated entirely to TB patients. A friend of my dad's had four sons. About five years ago, I heard that he had recently died due to TB. But before he died, he lost three of his four sons to TB. One of his sons contracted TB more than once, but the final time he caught the resistant strain and died. I hate this disease. Please give these profiteering sharks hell.

[@twoleftsright]

So I was coming here to say something similar. I paused on John's Venn diagram and to see South Africa in the centre breaks my heart. Looki get that Sierra Leonian Healthcare is important, but they are only a high TB burden, not all forms of TB + HIV, and I always feel like more should be said about that in these videos. I'm glad they're helping Africa, but there are so many health care systems on the continent that could use similar infrastructure.

[@jennieivins]

+

[@sarahprunierlaw9147]

That is horrifying

[@fakered_head]

Thanks for sharing your story ❤️

[@airmerly-1218]

South African here and these are facts. The youngst person I knew that died because of TB was 14 and in the region I live the disease is one of the biggest (and most expensive) burdens on the public health sector. In many cases people repeatedly get TB which leads to more drug resistant variants. It disgusting that people still die due to a CURABLE disease.

[@nikki3879]

I heard it said recently that "poverty doesn't exist because we can't help the poor. It exists because we can't satisfy the rich." And it has never felt more applicable than it does in this scenario. Price gouging life saving medication simply so the people who least need it can squeeze more out of people who can least afford it, is the most deplorable thing I think a human can do. J&J are definitely gonna be hearing from me. Thanks for the heads up, John.

[@catfeatherss]

Beautifully stated.

[@leannaedwards9300]

+

[@AnnieRegret]

❤

[@PigeonMilk_216]

+

[@ryanwise50]

You can still purchase the off label generic. Unless the FDA prevents it for some reason.

[@Just_a_commenter]

The title radiates justified angy. I approve. Edit: yep, definitely justified. Corporate greed standing in the way of progress for humaity... Nothing new, but always infuriating.

[@jacobredfield1386]

angy????

[@breadstick4458]

@@jacobredfield1386 ANGY!!!!

[@kioloup]

@@HighFlyActionGuy agreed but no one is ready for a societal reform.

[@cryengine_x]

it's usually govt greed, see biden et al ukraine war, inflation skyrocketing 32 trillion debt etc, noone can afford housing and now many africans dying due to 1st world white leftists banning cheap fossil fuel energy

[@UncleKennysPlace]

Corporations. Exist. To. Make. A. Profit. Period. And that motive has spurred huge innovation.

[@dr_slytha]

Submitted a complaint online. Was a pretty simple process to do, and will encourage my friends and family to also make their voices heard. Thanks for making this video and spreading the word!

[@fatal_pastry1176]

Where did you submit it, if I may ask?

[@kimi485]

Do you mind telling me how you did it and what you typed? I tried to do so through the link in the description, but it wasn’t letting me submit it due to needing specifics like date and location.

[@imaginaryguide1895]

Same! I just didn't answer specific date & location boxes. If you need to, maybe put the secondary patent date?

[@moontravellerjul]

these are the selections i made before reaching the complaint form; it was a few drop down menus and a big open text box; no specific date and time fields or such, so try this if you get stuck: [Choose a market] your market: you choose market where concern occurred: United States sector related to concern: corporate region where violation occurred: US/PR company related to concern: JJ World Headquarters US [Category] Human Rights

[@ShadowTheFosterCat]

I got stuck on page 1/4, where they ask for information about the market/region. There was no way to navigate to the other pages. Did you run into that issue?

[@jefffarnworth7578]

My wife spent time in South America and contracted TB. She took life saving medications and is alive today. Everyone deserves access to life saving medication.

[@LucielStarz123]

Everyone does have access to the drug, provider they can pay for it. Are you going to open your wallet for someone else?

[@warfarenotwarfair5655]

Why was she in a South American 3rd world country? She should already know disease is rampant in these countries.

[@rrai1999]

@@LucielStarz123 that's the governments or your insurances job. we all pay collectively into it in order that all of us receive care when we need it. it's beneficial to care about others in your community and it promotes general progress and wellbeing, it's low iq behavior to not care about others. low empathy they call it. and no, not everyone has access to the drug. public tax funds were used in the research of this drug in order to produce life saving drugs for the public. johnson and johnson would literally prefer to generate as much profit as they can get away with while they legally can than just selling a life saving pill at a reasonable price. even if it was expensive, insurance would cover it- but if its so ungodly expensive that they wont, which seems to be the case, it drives people to poverty trying to get the medicine they need. paying a huge company that literally wouldnt even notice if you stole an entire truck loads worth of their medicine and used it at home for the rest of your life.

@@LucielStarz123 You missed the point. That medication was provided by public health, that's why she was able to take it and live to tell the story.

[@ZelZel-04]

@@LucielStarz123 Why should someone have to pay to save their life?

[@srkeshet]

After telling this to my mother, I learned that my grandmother had TB. She was privileged to have US healthcare. She was a nurse and I’m sure she would have agreed with you.

[@HercadosP]

Privileged to pay 456.75 per pill

[@iriandia]

My grandfather had TB and survived, because they found a nodule of walled-off TB in his lung, years later. He didn’t really know when he might’ve gotten it. But since he lived in the US he would’ve been fine if it flared up.

[@emilyshanahan7647]

My great grandfather died of TB when my grandma was in Elementary school.

[@adde9506]

As a person who is "privileged" to have American healthcare, I would greatly like to use the insurance I am forced to pay for to go to the doctor, but I can't afford it. It took me two months and a government agency to get my rx covered and I am sick of clawing for less than the minimum. The way it is now, if I get TB, I won't be getting treatment either. Maybe everyone could be a little less greedy.

[@melissafuller7753]

❤❤❤

[@abeasmr]

Filed a report. This is truly appalling. Thank you for keeping us informed about this kind of stuff, John! For those that are confused about how to complain, these are the steps I took: Go to first link in description> First two boxes are your country> Pick pharmaceuticals> Then choose Janssen Pharmaceuticals (Janssen has the patent on bedaquiline)> After agreeing to their terms, I chose the Human Rights category. You could probably pick any of them (specifically, Business Integrity or Patient Safety stand out as applicable options)> You CAN choose to be anon or put in your info> Then type your complaint in the box Hope that’s helpful for someone! :)

[@ameliarosesheppard9007]

Thanks! I was a bit confused as to which boxes to pick.

[@untappedinkwell]

+++ business Integrity also calls out the Credo by name, specifically, so that's a good one to pick!

[@BlueUncia]

I picked "Human rights". Seemed appropriate.

[@valzo06]

You need to select Pharmaceuticals then Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The consumer division is something different so that would not be appropriate. Appreciate the "Human Rights" category idea!

[@RainaRamsay]

This is very helpful. @vlogbrothers - can you pin this comment? Or a similar one?

[@michaelseals8944]

I hate phone calls but I just got off the line with a very nice young lady who took my complaint! Thank you for being so passionate about this issue and informing your community, hopefully they listen

[@NOABeeBiss]

Hello Mr. John Green, I don't normally comment and I am making a shot in the dark even writing this, but thank you for this video. As someone who had a parent suffer from TB and survived, it was hell for them to even go through. I don't remember whenever my father had it because I was barely two years old, but my mother (who was pregnant with my younger sibling) recalled that doctors had to quarantine him from both me and my mother. She also recalled how he was coughing up blood and was close to death on multiple occasions. Thank you once again for making this, I appreciate your strong and justifiable anger to J&J.

[@NOABeeBiss]

@@stardust86x It is my pleasure. My father was privileged to receive medication since we're from what is considered a "rural" area, and he is alive despite TB impacting his lungs. I'm sorry to hear that you aunt died from it, and I hope your dad is living his best life.

[@annacalleja88]

Coming back to this from Hanks Video with tears of joy. Dear John and Hank, thank you for being a force for good consistently inspiring creativity, education and non-profit goodness both in me personally as an artist and globally on wondrous days like today. Especially powerful knowing you have both been going through so much personally. So proud of this community. Thank you thank you thank you!

[@c_lee_mason]

I work in clinical research and am connected to one of their executive medical directors. I sent them a ping to see who on the inside I can speak with regarding this. I also submitted regarding the violation of their credo. Keep up the good fight. I am so thankful people like John exist in the world to rally people together for the health of everyone.

[@sarahprunierlaw9147]

Thanks for using your connections!

[@paris4503]

thank you!!

[@katdimitriadis]

You are a complete legend! Thank you >.

[@jenniferbrind545]

Thank you!

[@agarsrish]

Did you also file the report?

[@kuntamdc]

First time I've ever filed a report on a corporation. Thanks for providing the information John.

[@tylerpixel]

Also remember to get your booster as well from the same company!

[@GTaichou]

@@tylerpixel Nah, if you were paying attention you'd know J&J doesn't make the bivalent -- which is the dose you WANT. Get out of here, troll

[@okokayay]

You all have to understand that this is not the right way, because it's without a doubt completely useless.

[@merelha5930]

​@@okokayay I mean, not doing anything will be even more useless. At the very very least people will know that it is a problem and the company will know that people aren't happy about it

[@toryevanss4512]

@@okokayay What is the right way?

[@LisaRuns]

Johnson and Johnson make my blood boil. Their role in the vaginal mesh scandal is also infuriating and heartbreaking. We are with you John.

[@MuzikBike]

Weren't they also behind cancerous baby powder?

[@spwashi]

@@MuzikBike I hadn't watched the video yet but assumed this was the topic, damn

[@bluebaconjake405]

@@MuzikBike i think so! Put asbestos baby powder on shelves and acted like nothing happened when thousands of people are suffering cancer from it. Insane how these giant pharmaceutical companies are killing millions of people and are still doing it to this day

[@amandalynch9567]

​​@@MuzikBike yes they were! They hid the knowledge that it caused cancer and even continued to push marketing toward minorities! 😡 I know one of the lawyers who is sending financial retribution for the victims.

[@femkevanwageningen6068]

​@@MuzikBikethe Nesle powder?

[@aristired6252]

Under no circumstances should LIFE SAVING technology be privatized. Life should not be a privilege. Privatization like this is some dystopian stuff. Thank you John for educating people and truly working for change. Your video will help save countless of lives.

[@Parker--]

Practically everything except tiktok is a lifesaving technology. Most medicines, cars, helicopters, cell phones, satellites, etc. Every pipe, brick, computer chip, door knob and for any building of a hospital, water sanitation, fire department, police, etc. should every brick and pipe and plastic be socialized because it could be used to save a life? All this sounds very nice but it is wildly idealistically naive. The patent system for pharmaceuticals needs a complete overhaul. We do not need to enact further drag down the path of corporatist/Socialist hell holes to fix this issue; that’s how we got here in the first place.

[@DipayanPyne94]

​@@Parker-- I don't think you know what neoliberalism has done to the world, especially USA, over the past 40+ years.

[@crunchybones3899]

@@DipayanPyne94 I don’t think they know what “lifesaving” means either.

[@Parker--]

@@crunchybones3899 "lifesaving" is only lifesaving if there's zero steps between?

[@crunchybones3899]

@@Parker-- personally being able to afford to buy a helicopter won’t save your live.

[@bea-i-guess]

Slightly related note: this is an issue spanning further than this, insulin was LITERALLY made to be as cheap as humanly possible to manufacture, it costs so so soso little to make, and yet, this medicine that can save lives is being hoarded by one company, and the price is high because profits wouldn't be high without it. We need to get rid of private patents for medicine

[@bman5257]

I think this might be going too far, because if you create no IP-protection for these drugs you will strongly disincentivize the creation of these drugs. Hopefully we can find a middle path that incentivizes drug creation to fight diseases that don’t have a drug while also preventing situations where surplus profits are able to be chosen over people’s lives.

[@TheSwauzz]

@@bman5257 The incentive is still there if companies are making money, which they would be even if you cut prices by 50%. The issue isn't the profit for me, the issue is why is so much excess profit necessary? Especially when we find out that those excess profits are actually NOT being put back into research. Why do company heads need to make 1000% more than the lab techs? Why is it normalized that we think certain jobs are exponentially more important than others in the same company? Each piece of the puzzle is needed to complete the picture, right? But greed is the ultimate factor, and it's supported by current practices in this country.

[@tablelegz]

I believe biden stated he had plans for cost reduction of insulin not sure on the current status but one can hope

[@daveythehand4964]

The idea is to increase competition. Right now, there is little competition in most medicine. This is no bueno.

[@cwelch7010]

@@bman5257getting rid of ip law especially when it applies to medicine will not remove the incentive to innovate. Despite profit motive as a driver of change being a thoroughly debunked idea in many sectors it is even less applicable to medicine. An enormous amount of medical research is publicly funded and governments, especially the us, have the money to pay for the continued research and production of medicines to the benefit of millions of people. People have an innate desire to be productive and to help each other, without profit the people actually responsible for the research and production (the scientists, doctors, etc) would continue to produce and innovate. The only result of the profit motive in the medical sector is a few major companies withholding affordable lifesaving medication for the sake of growing the wealth of the ceo and shareholders.

[@Tesserex]

I will never understand how a CEO sitting in a comfortable office somewhere can make a unilateral decision that effectively condemns millions of other people to death and not feel some kind of way about it.

[@luckyshark32]

The people that become CEOs are chosen for exactly that - to prioritize stock price over all costs.

[@jayspeidell]

That's why the so many sociopaths and psychopaths make it into executive leadership roles. Shareholders have their hands clean and just need maximum profits, and the system naturally promotes people without empathy towards other humans.

[@abelabel3664]

CEOs are selected to give shareholders as much profit as possible. Those who have the stomach to climb the corporate ladder have way larger chances of success if they are selfish and egotistical. Our systems are shite.

[@shakeyj4523]

Dr Hare, who created the Psychopath inventory predicted this a couple of decades ago. It turn out that corporations got the bright (sarcasm) Idea that people who were psychopaths were better at business because they were ruthless. So they started to use his inventory to select FOR psychopathy, instead of using it as he intended and weed it out. As a result, this type of behavior has increased as these people were promoted to the top of their fields. Now Psychopaths tend to self select for business, so it did not cause it, but it means that we have MANY more psychopaths in top positions than we otherwise would have. And these corporations are considered people, and are also running politics. And Dr Hare predicted a lot of this.

[@MrMighty147]

Psychopaths

[@aceface8877]

I am inclined to say that having the ability to save millions of lives and then not doing that because it is less lucrative is by definition monstrous. J&J sure has a lot of products

[@Praisethesunson]

It's almost like capitalist accumulation results in a handful of mega corporations owning the majority of products.

[@francinesmith1889]

J&J, along with Walmart, Verizon, and many many other companies also use prison labor for the manufacturing of their products.

[@EmmaCruises]

‘They think they can get away with this because they think we’re not paying attention’ 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I’ve recently started fundraising for a fabulous charity called MercyShips and being part of the vlogbrothers community for many years has showed me that a platform like this can do immense good. 🙏❤️

[@conniebruckner8190]

❤❤💖💖 TY!

[@treblemaker33]

EMMA IS A NERDFIGHTERI??? This is the collab of a lifetime ❤

[@EmmaCruises]

@@treblemaker33 OF COURSE!! ;D

[@ScarryGargoyle]

So happy to see you here! Thanks for the help! Let’s all come together.

[@EmmaCruises]

@@ScarryGargoyle Woohoo! I definitely had lots of people telling me 'don't put that video about that charity on your channel that'll destroy the momentum etc etc' but then I think well, Hank and John do it brilliantly, I'll try! Glad we did!! 🥰

[@Emme-Kappa]

I've been working in J&J in Prague for the EMEA sector for almost a year now. I love the job and I've met really amazing colleagues here. I sadly also know this company was responsible in the past for not exactly the most positive behaviour... think of the opioids crisis of the 2000s, to make a really basic example. I didn't know this was going on until this video John, so I'll try my best in making my voice heard, despite being nothing but the smallest gear in a colossal pharmaceutical engine. Also, amazing that you referenced Our Credo! :D That is something that as an employee I was told on my very first day to always keep into count... so of course I will try my best to make it so that those words are something that my company can live up to. Lots of love for you and Hank!

[@minimarker3]

Thank you for doing what you can Emme!

[@BlueManIan]

+

[@ellibaker8547]

+

[@robotowl42]

My mom used to do home Healthcare for TB patients, it's a truly awful disease. The fact that J&J values their money more than human lives is deplorable. Hopefully something will be done to fix this problem, and eventually the systems that encourage problems like it.

[@Praisethesunson]

Valuing profit over human lives is the American system at this point

[@dangerousdays2052]

@@Praisethesunson Complaining about capitalism while pretending capitalism isn't the actual problem is the most American thing ever.

[@TheSyntheticSnake]

... You do realise they legally can't do otherwise? They are required to maximise shareholder value and if they don't they can be sued by the shareholders, don't blame them as a single actor, it's the entire economic system

[@hagoryopi2101]

How do you continue providing a service if you can't recuperate the resources necessary to fund that service? Why do people act like pursuing profit is a frivilous choice which only cartoonishly evil people could make to deliberately hurt others, rather than a necessary choice all people try to make in one way or another (including you, if you make any effort to sustain yourself) to mitigate the impact which natural scarcity has on their life, their goals, and the service they can provide to others?

[@kaycee1076]

​@@hagoryopi2101they're pursuing a profit from the one group of people who cannot give them it, and from a purely business perspective they are possibly losing 6 million lifetime customers of all their other products in doing so. It doesn't make sense to maintain the patent from a moral, ethical, personal, professional, reputational or general business perspective.

[@OneDollarWilliam]

"We believe our first responsibility is to the patients..." except where that conflicts with our fiduciary responsibility to our shareholders, because we live in a crazy upside down country where it's a crime to make slightly less money for investors, but negligent genocide is A-OK.

[@Praisethesunson]

When people tell you our options as a species are either socialism or barbarism. This corporate lead death of millions for the sake of profits J&J does not need, is the barbarism. Make no mistake. Those barbarians are already inside your house trying to plunder your mind, body, and spirit.

[@ryanwise50]

If you can't afford a drug, you're not a patient. Though the old version of the drug will still be available as a cheap generic. So this video (and most complaints about patent 'evergreening') are at least a little dishonest. Either the new patent offers some genuine benefit in which case you get effectively tiered pricing (but not denial of treatment) or the new patent offers no benefit in which case the problem is corrupt doctors.

[@ernesto906]

i came to write exactly this, the first responsibility of any shareholder driven company is to their shareholders.

[@amandakennedy8088]

“Negligent”

[@OneDollarWilliam]

@@ryanwise50 "Though the old version of the drug will still be available as a cheap generic." Sadly, this isn't true. The power in evergreening comes from a company being able to use the system to bully smaller companies and even countries. They are able to say "this change we have made is substantial enough to deserve a new patent" with one side of their mouth, and "this generic version of our old drug is too similar to our current patent" with the other, and it doesn't matter that the suit is ridiculous, because they only have to make the threat of a costly legal battle obvious, and most companies won't even try (because of *their* fiduciary responsibility).

[@iHATEFORCE]

I contracted TB while deployed to Iraq in 2007 while in the military. Once back stateside, I had 2 positive PPD skin tests and was diagnosed. Thankfully it was detected while still dormant. I took INH for 9 months and was declared cured. However, this news was still scary even though I was in the US and had access to free healthcare through the military. I cannot imagine the fear and anguish of contracting TB without access to these benefits. People in the US are shocked I had TB because it is so rare here.

[@RaiyanAhmedLoL]

do you regret being in Iraq?

[@koalatydm]

​@@RaiyanAhmedLoL for the love of... soldiers don't have a say in where they're deployed. Don't ask the soldiers whether they feel regret over being in Iraq, ask the people who deployed them there and the people who chose to lie to the public about "weapons of mass destruction".

[@iHATEFORCE]

@@RaiyanAhmedLoL yes. There was no point in the US invading Iraq.