Donald Rumsfeld, biotech visionary

[timouse]

Turns out that one of the usual suspects stands to profit from the panic surrounding the "coming pandemic."

The fundamental issue is who owns the intellectual property rights over Tamiflu. The media reports suggest that the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche will make billions.

While the drug is produced by Roche, it was developed by Gilead Sciences Inc.which owns the intellectual property rights. Gilead, which has maintained a low profile, has outsourced the production to Roche.

Donald Rumsfeld was appointed Chairman of Gilead Sciences, Inc. in 1997, a position which he held in the years prior to becoming Secretary of Defense.in the Bush adminstration. Rumsfeld had been on the Board of Directors from the establishment of Gilead in 1987.

more here.

apparently mr rumsfeld has had a long standing involvement with the company that developed Tamiflu, touted as the one antiviral drug that might help people survive a killer flu. In a related development, Gilead is now trying to recover the rights to produce Tamiflu, claiming that the current manufacturer, Roche, is not up to the task.

[Boochawan]

gotta love the race to the bottom.

[onthejourney]

NO FRIGGIN SURPRISE!! Boy am I glad I don't live in the States where they are put into a constant state of fear. I mean c'mon, I read that people down there are so afraid of this avian flu that they are calling to find out if they can eat turkey! Although, I am beginning to be disappointed in our media for starting to jump on the bandwagon of fear mongering.

[AdamH]

Agreed onthejourney. I'd never noticed it more than last night when the promo for the CTV news was led by avian flu, and followed by the frickin' vote of non-confidence?!

Which of these two things affects almost no canadians, and which affects all canadians?

[Alexis]

does anyone else think that the chick doing the 11 o clock news on ctv has all of a sudden started to look like a 40 year old version of a 14 year old anorexic whore? her cheek bones protruding like that....that floofy hair and blue eyeshadow...and sparkley pink lipstick...i can't take her seriously anymore.

[AD]

Avian flu isn't newsworthy on the CTV news?

A lot of people are talking about it.. Experts are talking about a global pandemic possibly... I think it's newsworthy.

And I'd venture a guess that more people in Canada will care about a flu outbreak than the goings-on in parliament. I'm already sick of politics, but definitely don't want to get the flu.

AD

[Tooly]

i will bet ya a million dollars AD that you or I will NEVER get the avian flu

newsworthy? about as newsworthy as my morning turd bud.

its all hyped up to get ppl to buy flu vaccines that don "rummy" rumsfeld is gonna make a mint off

[Lazlo]

I hope I get the avian flu just so I can give it to Tooly.

Pucker up Wook.

[AD]

I should hope not, I'm not avian (that I know of)

Regardless of the reason everyone is talking about bird flu or who stands to gain from it, the fact that people are genuinely scared of the perceived threat is in fact news.

I kinda hope the politicians in 'that other story' come down with something so we can maybe vote someone in that has a shred of dignity and/or ethics.

AD

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

the fact that people are genuinely scared of the perceived threat is in fact news.

I suppose, but doesn't that lead to vicious sorts of circles (think "WMD")?

I kinda hope the politicians in 'that other story' come down with something so we can maybe vote someone in that has a shred of dignity and/or ethics.

. (The ethicist in me says I shouldn't find that funny .)

Edited November 22, 2005 by Guest