It is completely inexcusable that people in STEM fields are so reactionary, considering how capitalism utterly destroys science.

If universities were actually "left wing indoctrination factories" like the right thinks they are, every STEM grad would be taught, for example, what Kropotkin had to say about innovation.

  • gramscyeet [any]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Literally witnessed a radicalization moment in my RNA bio class watching people learn that zolgensma (SMA cure) costs 2.1 million dollars per dose. A wonderful dilemma, watch your child die before the age of 2, or hopefully have it covered by your insurance. Our prof even was like "yeah they sell what you research back to you for millions, welcome to rna biology"

    The fucking actuarial math going into this drug is insane, it basically is produced for something like ~500K per vial and they basically double that and add the cost "A human makes over their life time" since they are literally giving you a full life.

    • Superduperthx [he/him]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Are you saying that the "real cost" is 500k? Because that's still kind of insane.

      • gramscyeet [any]
        ·
        4 years ago

        I'm unsure now, I tried to find the article I read that from. Obviously its super hard to get the true material cost of a drug, I dont think Biogen wants that information out there.

        However I did find a light description of their process

        In common with the production other viral vectors, the vectors used to make Zolgensma are produced in adherent cell lines. Working with adherent cell lines requires specialist technologies and systems. For example, stirred tank bioreactors are better suited to the growth of cells in suspension rather than those that are fixed. Production of a single Zolgensma batch takes 30-days Althoff told us, explaining that after cell expansion, triple transfection of HEK293 cells is used to make the adeno associated virus (AAV) vectors. Downstream processes consist of a series of capture and filtration steps used to achieve the desired impurity profile and full/empty capsid ratio all of which require specialist technologies. “We complete the entire process in-house” Althoff said, adding “The process takes approximately 30 days start to finish. Product can be stored for 12 months.”

        Based on this I found an article that breaks down the cost of AAV vector production: https://www.insights.bio/immuno-oncology-insights/journal/article/15/cost-modelling-comparison-of-adherent-multi-trays-with-suspension-and-fixed-bed-bioreactors-for-the-manufacturing-of-gene-therapy-products

        From figure 5 most doses are around 10K$ considering all costs, now we can be super generous and say that zoglmas material cost is something from 10k$ - 100K$ per dose.