<eyebeam><blast> pressure from the social sector

[Sonya Rapoport <rapop@socrates.berkeley.edu>]

>The AIDS epidemic has engendered the only true "revolution" I can
>think of, in terms of how pressure from the social sector can actually
>change the direction of technology and its uses. Public perception,
>gained through radical programs devised by groups such as Visual AIDS,
>Gran Fury, and Act Up, forced the issue on the medical establishment
>and has unexpectedly positive positive results.

The positive results from the social sector that Joy Garnet refers to
are largely the public perception of the AIDS epidemic. Social pressure
has provided emotional and physical care. It has had little influence on
the direction of the research effort to provide an effective drug or
treatment. Pharmaceutical companies were investing their own money and
resources, motivated by profit, for protease inhibitors before activist
pressure. The private sector is responsible for the creation, discovery
and development of effective treatment. Du Pont, an early investigator
dropped out, leaving Roche, Merck, Abbott and Agouron with viable
products.

 

Social pressure is responsible for the government regulation of the cost
but you can't lower the cost if there is no drug.


Sincerely,

Sonya Rapoport



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