Shockingly, in the USA, it’s not unusual for disadvantaged populations to suffer from rampant outbreaks of hookworm. Normally the drug prescribed for hookworm, Albendazole, can cost as much as $500 per course, making the drug out of reach for many in need. So we started off by donating more than 10,000 tablets of Albendazole to cure parasitic infections in the most affected areas of the southern US.
Our goal is to dramatically reduce the cost of drugs like Albendazole, but we also think that it is just as important to introduce transparency to the pricing of drugs so patients know they are getting a fair price.
Our cost for Albendazole is $26.08 per course. We mark that price up by 15% so we can continue to run the company and invest in disrupting the pricing of as many drugs as we possibly can.
Remember, the US health care system is optimized for steadily increasing Executive Compensation, not patient health.
"Hookworm, Ascaris, and whipworm are known as soil-transmitted helminths (parasitic worms). Together, they account for a major burden of disease worldwide.
Hookworms live in the small intestine. Hookworm eggs are passed in the feces of an infected person. If the infected person defecates outside (near bushes, in a garden, or field) or if the feces of an infected person are used as fertilizer, eggs are deposited on soil. They can then mature and hatch, releasing larvae (immature worms). The larvae mature into a form that can penetrate the skin of humans. Hookworm infection is mainly acquired by walking barefoot on contaminated soil. One kind of hookworm can also be transmitted through the ingestion of larvae.
Most people infected with hookworms have no symptoms. Some have gastrointestinal symptoms, especially persons who are infected for the first time. The most serious effects of hookworm infection are blood loss leading to anemia, in addition to protein loss. Hookworm infections are treatable with medication prescribed by your health care provider."
Worldwide 470 million or more have hookworms. IF you and your family and friends and neighbors don’t crap in your backyard barefoot, you probably aren’t going to get this. Or grow your garden with human poop fertilizer.
additional from government website:
"The infection of others can be prevented by not defecating outdoors or using human feces as fertilizer, and by effective sewage disposal systems.
What is the treatment for hookworm?
Hookworm infections are generally treated for 1-3 days with medication prescribed by your health care provider. The drugs are effective and appear to have few side effects. Iron supplements may be prescribed if you have anemia."
There’s a generic drug for this product - likely at 1/10th the cost.
And intercst, don’t forget that hundreds of thousands (and millions via index funds) own shares in these profit making drug companies. Also ones making generics. Probably BK owns a bunch of drug providers. Didn’t they just buy up some health care/drug providers?
There’s a world wide demand of likely MILLIONS of doses a year worldwide…but not that many in the US.
Just a bit of trivia. People in the south are sometimes stereotyped as being lazy and a bit dim witted.
It turns out that was actually somewhat true in many cases because hookworm caused low energy, malnutrition, and developmental problems.
Up until the mid 1900’s people going barefoot and not having proper toilets caused the spread of hook worm. Farther north the hookworm could not survive the colder weather and people did not go barefoot as much.
There’s a generic drug for this product - likely at 1/10th the cost.
The albendazole that costs $500 per course is the generic drug that Mark Cuban is sourcing for $26. The patents on it expired long ago.
The problem is unlimited insurance company price gouging in generic drugs. Now that most of the big health insurers own their own captive pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), they have the opportunity to screw their customers in multiple orifices. They’re not leaving any money on table.
I’ve noticed that the much heralded “Medicare Drug Price Negotiation” bill with the Manchin imprimatur only the caps the price on a maximum of 20 name-brand drugs, and leaves the generic price gouging to continue unabated.
I thought that hookworm is no longer a major problem. Is it making a comeback?
With the ever increasing number of pets there are more cases of pet to family member transmission. From Veterinary Practice News:
Hookworm rampant across U.S. www.veterinarypracticenews.com/hookworm-rampant-across-u-s/#….
According to CAPC, the number of canine hookworm cases jumped 47% between 2012 and 2018. Des Moines, Iowa, is the number one city for hookworm in May, the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) reports. This was revealed in the group’s monthly Top 10 Cities Hookworm Report, which warns pet owners, veterinarians, and pet-related service providers of U.S. metropolitan areas with the highest percentage increase in positive hookworm tests from the last 30 days…
According to the council, the following U.S. cities have the highest percentage increase in positive hookworm tests for May:
Des Moines, Iowa
Santa Rosa, Calif.
Corpus Christi, Tex.
Columbus, Ga.
Spokane, Wash.
San Jose, Calif…
An increase in hookworm prevalence not only alerts communities to a heightened threat to the health of dogs and cats, but also warns of an increased threat to the health of children and families who can potentially contract hookworm infection,”…