We don't really want a cure.
What ! How could I say this?
Well, certainly I wish there had been a cure for my family members. And I may be at risk myself. From a patient and future potencial patient perspective, there would be nothing better than to take a few pills and then walk away, free from Alzheimers forever.
But, what about as an investor? From strictly a business standpoint what would a complete and lasting miracle cure mean? It would mean no more future sales to those cured. It would be a financial disaster. Big pharma has been accused for as much since in all the muriad pharmacopia out there, we would be hard pressed to find any actual cures being offered. Even the terminology is bent toward "treatment", not "cure".
The necessity for periodic treatments equals a revenue stream. An actual cure means the gravy train is over. I suppose the price of a single cure could be jacked up astronomically Shkreily style, but that would probably not go over poltically, besides being blatantly immoral to the millions who need it. We should be happy at this point that we are free from guilt and hand wringing over a moral dilemna.
The current standard of care barely has an effect on a temporary basis, has crappy side effects, yet it keeps on being given out into a multi-billion dollar market even after the point where it does no good at all. Simply because there hasn't been anything better.
Now we've got something that works better and is on par or safer than many over the counter treatments and herbal remedies being sold for a variety of ailments and diseases. Since 2-73 definately fends off disease progression, people would want to take it as a preventative. I know that I would. That market is likely ten times bigger than that of those already proven to have the disease. We have no choice but to move forward with our moral imperitive to try to bring this improved periodic lifelong treatment regimen to as many millions of people as possible. When that results in a rich revenue stream then, well, so be it.
Also, why do we even need a partner? Seems like all we would need is a pill making machine. Why not sell it over the counter?
Who is one of the biggest pharma companies around? Bayer. What actually propelled them to greatness? Aspirin.
