OPINION -- I don’t follow the reasoning of Dr. Kris Alman in urging the Legislature to decline to match part of Nike founder Phil Knight’s $500 million challenge grant to OHSU cancer research efforts. Her argument is that we should throw the baby out with the bath water.
Just as I have been appalled by the federal government’s bailout of an out of control financial industry and big corporations who made lousy business decisions, I completely agree with her disgust with the pricing policies of pharmaceutical manufacturers. They are gougers that make even huge international banks and insider-trading hedge funds look like the PTA. But why blame and disadvantage Dr. Druker and OHSU for the profligate greed of the manufacturer of Gleevec? And regardless of its cost this drug has saved countless patients that would otherwise have perished. Would the public be well served if the next miracle drug weren’t discovered, perhaps at OHSU?
Greedy pharmaceutical companies have been financially screwing the American public for 50 years. Yet the government stands idly by and watches while providing cell phones to anybody who thinks they need one and running up a national debt that will crush the grandchildren of our grandchildren.
To be sure Big PhRMA needs to be brought to its heels, but based on their recent track record with banks our elected officials haven’t the guts to do so.
Meanwhile Mr. Knight has made a creative offer. The State Legislature should leverage the largesse of a good and generous man in laying the groundwork that may lead to the next magic bullet in medical science.
Jim Kronenberg worked for the Oregon Medical Association for nearly 38 years and hardly made any enemies. He’s been retired for more than seven years and relish making them now. His main interest these days is in being an OSU Master Gardener volunteer, and he continues to work on the oral history of medicine in Oregon project. He admits that he doesn’t follow medical issues very closely anymore, but obviously has an interest in OHSU, Joe Robertson and Dr. Druker. The next pair of sneakers he buys will be Nikes for sure.
