IMHO, I have felt there was not a focus on cure for many years. Nor a focus on improving self management, for that matter.
I think a cure will come from somewhere beyond the U.S., unfortunately. In the U.S., great strides were made in treatment, at least, when scientists focused on one area. Examples: breast cancer and AIDS.
Take a look at the current issue of Discover magazine (Oct. '11). It is usually in your library if you don’t subscribe. They have a section on “How to cure everything” that covers a lot of chronic and life threatening conditions. Diabetes is on p. 53. None of these ‘roads’ may lead to a cure but it is heartening that there are critical thinkers out there who really do want to find a cure. If the diabetes scientists around the world would agree to take the most promising leads to a cure and put money into getting a cadre of scientists to really work on each approach all at the same time, I believe a cure would be found. There would also need to be “cross-study” sharing and collaboration because it may be some combination of approaches that answers the question. Just my opinion from observing individual studies from a distance over the years. I am not sure this is going to be a “penicillin type” discovery coming from one lab.
(I have tried not to rain on the Faustman parade, but I would just say “don’t hold your breath.”)
Oh, and yes, the pharma industry has every incentive to maintain the status quo, just raising prices. Remember what insulin used to cost ('60s & '70s) vs now? What drug company would want to stop producing insulin?
If Lente/UltraLente and animal insulins were really inferior products, then the “market” should have taken care of it. Animal insulins were removed from the market to “force” the market to convert to synthetic insulins. And I believe Lente/UltraLente was removed for similar reasons by the makers. There was more money to be made from forcing customers to buy the newer products.
i thought advertising was supposed to erase the cost of r&d wasn’t that the point of having a viagra or cialias commercial every ten seconds and plavix pills in between those…
there were laws prenevting those commercials previously and they were removed because drug companies complained that they couldn’t sell enough of the drugs because they couldn’t get the word out to the potential consumer(patient) because only doctors can prescribe pills… drug companies complained their R&D was too high to continue developing drugs so the laws were hencly relaxed…
although you can’t show the camel smoking a cartoon cigarette but a 7 year or even better 13 yeard old can know how to fix his erection if it lasts longer than four hours…
What did it cost in the '60s and '70s, out of curiosity? Because if you don’t have insurance, a bottle of Humalog will run you $300 or more and that seems plenty expensive to me. Far more expensive than it needs to be, given that they’ve likely made back their R&D costs and then some by now.
You know, I never thought of it that way but it’s true. Even smallpox hasn’t been “cured” – just prevented by vaccination and, ultimately, eradicated from the wild. If it escaped the laboratories where it’s still being maintained, boy would we all be f***d.
here is food for thought…
you always hear what; please donate, we are so close to a breakthrough-cure-etc-whathaveyou, 5 years out, whatever line you have heard to get you to seperate yourself from your cash essentially…
so here is the food for thought…would you honestly donate time, money, or anything earned through blood sweat and tears. if you knowingly were never going to see any benefit from it in your lifetime or even say 3 generations time, to where you could have no in fluence on how future generations spend money… would you still donate??? would you donate if they told you it’s a crapshoot and it’s only a one and one million shot to work, or would you rather spend that dollar on the lotto or something and have a definite impact on the care you recieve if you win…remember donating to a isn’t a guarentee
My father died from complications of Parkinson’s disease. I give to the Parkinson’s foundation in his memory so that hopefully someday some other daughter won’t have to lay her father to rest before his time, as I did. Which is an UTTER crapshoot given that they know less about Parkinson’s than they do about diabetes at this point. It’s still less of a crapshoot than Lotto 
Speaking of Parkinsons you know I remember back in about 2005 I was reading an article about Michael J Fox and he stated to feel very strongly about there being a cure or near a cure for Parkinsons by 2010. Based on that assumption I certainly felt diabetes would have been taken care of first being research was further along plus the fact that way more people suffer with diabetes then Parkinsons. You know big Pharma may love the fact that more and more people are getting diabetes which is a sick thought to begin with but they fail to realize if this keeps up diabetes will literally be the biggest health threat in the entire world. Imagine 1/3 of the entire population insulin dependent. It’s not joke and needs to be taken far more seriously. Anyone that needs insulin to survive is always a few units away from death and we all know within 48 hours without it we can kiss life goodbye. Any industry that is thrilled to see more and more people become diabetic so that they can make more money should literally be set on fire. Elizabeth not sure where you buy insulin but $300 for a vial is highway robbery. You can buy Humalog through a Canada drug pharmacy for about $35 shipped a vial if you buy in bulk.
I believe a better treatment breakthrough is feasible for diabetes but I think the bigger problem is being able to produce a breakthrough that will be cost effective which is why I always loved the Smart Insulin idea. Some form of transplantation without the need for anti drugs will eventually be a reality IMO but I think its going to be an ongoing expensive procedure that most people will never be able to afford. For me at my age I can only hope that Smart Insulin proves safe and effective as that seems like my only way out. I believe Dr Faustman has a fair chance but its still a long shot that BCG on its own will eliminate the need for insulin injections for us.
I only donate directly to researchers like Dr. Faustman, to small grassroots organizations & to Tu. I refuse to contribute to large orgs that spend huge sums on administrative costs. Yea, research is a crap shoot of hope.
but again what is dr. faistman’s main drinving motivation…and let me begin by saying i am vaguely familiar with her research and know less of her personal life, so i am not passing judgement or trying to put in false narratives of her or any one like her…
but if i am a scientist and unless i am someone like peter parker whom has the perfect storm of circumstances, direct effect, knowledge, ability to distrubute without being bought out…
most people become scientist because they are interested in the art of it discovery is a driving motive, financing a lifestyle is a driving motive, CURING YOURSELF IS A DRIVING MOTIVE, but what is my motive to make sure this cure or whatever doesn’t get shuffled to the back…my only mtive is to look after my family and the only way to do that in our society is to make money to feed ourselves and loved ones…making sure i have a cure is on the list but how important in relation to the other points on the list does it have???
From video interviews & following her research, Dr. Faustman is extremely committed. Several members here donated blood to her research & met her. She spent time with them & they were impressed with her. She’s brilliant.
Her research involves a drug that’s already approved & available as a generic. So, there aren’t riches to be bestowed at her feet. I don’t believe she’s financing a lifestyle & most reseachers aren’t wealthy.
I don’t know what anyone’s motivation is. Self-interest isn’t the motivation for everyone & there are those whose sole purpose isn’t making money. People who dedicate their career to “finding a cure” for anything don’t typically allow their work to be shuffled to the back burner. It’s their life’s work.
I would think money is one of the least things researchers do what they do. I know Dr Zion has a cousin with type 1 and saw how much went into managing it and difficult it was. Dr Levetan of Curedm said her moms best friend suffered all the secondary complications which eventually took her life. She is well recognized endo. The head of the Springpoint project has a son with type 1. A researcher from the DRI’s daughter has type 1. Someone who started Living cell technologies son also is a type 1. I don’t know Dr Faustman’s story but Iaccoca lost his wife to type 1 and he has been her largest supporter. If BCG on its own could temporarily reverse type 1 without the need for insulin injections we’d be extremely extremely lucky. We should be at greatful the 1st round results showed the Faustman lab exactly what they wanted to see which is the destruction of bad T-cells and some small levels of natural insulin production. It may not do anything more then that which means it would be a failure but its certainly worth pursuing.
The market was never given enough time to take care of Lente/UltraLente
If it was ALL about moving people to synthetics why did they keep R and NPH? My understanding is these insulins are still made by the major players in the market. If the goal is as you stated what reason would they have to keep anything but synthetics around? They can already sell to whoever they choose at whatever price they choose (like you point out with Plavix below) so it certainly couldn’t be because they have a heart if it is all about profits as you say.
I wish animal insulin was still available in the US. I tried to get it from Canada. Too expensive & no guarantee US Customs would allow it through. I was also concerned about it sitting around getting too warm.
I’m glad Regular is around. I use it.
To Elizabeth from several hours ago. I don’t remember the exact cost of insulin in the '70s but I think it was in the neighborhood of $3 to $4 a bottle. I am shocked that you say insulin is now $300 without insurance. I had no idea it was that much. The last I heard, a couple years ago, was $100. And that is outrageous. There should be a cap on the cost of meds, regardless of the so-called R&D costs.
Check out the money drug companies spend on advertising vs R&D. I think you will be surprised. And I can’t recall the figures–it has been a while since I saw the data but someone on here will surely know.
I think you left out the golf. fishing trips, hookers and who knows what else business greases the legislative skids with to enable this sort of “free market” (aaackthpft) in which they operate…
Not to disagree but whenever Humalog goes off patent and if some generic company can reproduce it the price will fall and the insurance companies will insist that those of us on Humalog use the generic. That will assure a market for the Humalog equivalents and finally those without insurance will be able to get somewhat lower prices. See for example, prilosec and simvastatin.
Let’s just hope that Obama can hang on so that the promise of guarenteed insurance can be realized.
Maurie
While I can understand that your desire for a cure is heartfelt, I find this type of post is very upsetting and irresponsible.
There is ample information out there detailing the issues surrounding a “cure”, please either do the research or ask for assistance in finding the info, but don’t post something like this. Furthermore, your initial post has the classic, “I heard from a friend of a friend…” and NO FACTUAL INFORMATION - ARRGGHHH!
BTW, you might start here - Targeting A Cure from the folks @ DiaTribe.
The next time you aren’t sure about why you are posting something, PLEASE DON’T!
Mike