"Industry"... How Suspicious This Word Is
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The word “Industry” carries a peculiar weight—it describes the law of existence of a thing in both its facets: that which is beneficial in a conventional sense, and that which is harmful metaphorically.
Its echo is always associated with economics, business administration, and the export of useful products. But when used figuratively, it unveils a nucleus of illicit activities, where the law of quick profit at the expense of public interest reigns supreme.
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From this standpoint, we derive a corrupt concept known as "Pharmaceutical Price Gouging."
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First: What is Price Gouging?
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Price gouging is an economic phenomenon in which the price of a product or service is exaggeratedly raised far beyond its actual value.
This doesn’t happen in a vacuum; one of its primary causes is what’s known as a "Supply Shock"—a state with two extremes: either a surplus of a product or a severe shortage. The only condition that leads to price gouging is the latter.
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Despite the existence of government bodies monitoring price manipulation and overseeing markets, unjust price hikes during crises were often carried out under the radar.
(Some liberal foundations have been lenient about such "cover" unless proven guilty, as liberalism tends to be tolerant toward independent corporations.)
This occurs even though price gouging is prohibited during emergencies, even if it involves just one essential product.
Real Example:
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, the New York City Attorney General's office filed a lawsuit supported by the N-95 law (enacted at the time) targeting merchants who had raised the price of medical masks by between 59% and 1328% for resale purposes.
Hypothetical Example:
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Earth suffers a series of environmental catastrophes—meteors, hurricanes, and floods—turning all nations into a "first world." Governments, agencies, and committees collapse. It becomes common to see a family-sized meal sold for many times its pre-crisis price.
It’s no surprise—demand is high and food sources are scarce.
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Second: Drug Price Manipulation
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Pharmacy is the science of medications and their chemical foundations. The goal is to create and manufacture treatments for complex diseases.
In the case of price gouging, pharmaceutical products are treated no differently than ordinary goods. But tampering with drug prices is far more dangerous, as medicine is a basic necessity.
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The WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, updated every two years, defines appropriate medicines for specific conditions (e.g., cancer, vaccines). Over 150 countries rely on this list to update their national formularies.
It is, medically, an indispensable reference in the field of health.
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Now, imagine how a crucial commodity like medicine—built on capital, research, and global health recommendations—becomes the victim of unchecked, predatory pricing.
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Let us delve into cases where people’s lives were held hostage by pharmaceutical greed.
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Third: Involved Companies
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1. Pfizer
Pfizer is one of the most prominent pharmaceutical companies specializing in biotechnology and immunology, headquartered in Manhattan, New York.
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In early 2025, while the U.S. inflation rate stood at 2.7%, Pfizer raised the prices of dozens of its drugs by 3–5%.
Among these was Paxlovid, a drug used to treat COVID-19.
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2. Martin Shkreli – "The Most Hated Man in America"
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AIDS is a virus that weakens the human immune system. Cancer is a disease that causes DNA dysfunction in cells, leading to their uncontrolled spread.
Both diseases remain major challenges to modern medicine. A parasitic disease called Toxoplasmosis poses a further threat to such patients.
A drug called Daraprim, developed over 60 years ago, was used to treat both Toxoplasmosis and malaria.
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In 2015, the rights to distribute Daraprim fell into the hands of Turing Pharmaceuticals, owned by Martin Shkreli.
(“Fell into their hands” meaning they acquired the intellectual distribution rights.)
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Then came the scandal—Shkreli increased the price by a staggering 5,000%.
The pill, which had cost $13.50, now cost $750.
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He was prosecuted and ordered to repay $64.6 million, representing illegal gains, and was permanently banned from the industry.
Nicknamed "the most hated man in America," Shkreli appealed the sentence, but the court rejected it.
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3. Toxic Acquisition – Rodelis Therapeutics
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After acquiring the rights to Cycloserine, a drug used to treat tuberculosis, Rodelis Therapeutics raised the price of a 30-pill pack from $500 to $10,800—an increase of over 20 times.
Perhaps that's why searching the company’s name on Google yields articles about Cycloserine, not about the company itself. Its fame, it seems, lies only in its crime.
Fourth: Treatments for the Wealthy
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While healthcare is an undeniable right, some treatments are so expensive that only the wealthy can afford them—such as immunotherapies, which are already expensive enough without any price hike.
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Example:
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Actimmune, used to treat chronic granulomatous disease and bone disorders, works by preventing immune cells from attacking harmful organisms.
Its cost? $819,000.
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Another example: Danyelza, used to treat neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer.
Its price? $1,010,000.
The drug works by slowing or halting the growth of cancerous cells.
Sidebar:
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In addition to price gouging, there are darker issues: Big Pharma conspiracies, assassinations of doctors, and opioid marketing.
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Big Pharma refers to conspiracy theories suggesting the medical industry hides effective treatments to maintain profits from expensive drugs and therapies.
It also includes claims of companies assassinating doctors or researchers who find cures that might threaten corporate interests. While controversial, some believe these accusations may hold truth.
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Opium once served as an ancient painkiller but later became a narcotic.
Britain used it as a weapon during the 19th-century Opium Wars to weaken China.
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Even today, the term "opium of the people" is used as a metaphor for sedatives or escapism.
In the 19th century, Bayer, a German company, marketed a heroin-based drug as a cough suppressant, branding it as a safer alternative to morphine—its former use.
Heroin was literally sold under the commercial name "Heroin" as a trademark.
Eventually...
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This world is a dying sphere that pleads with us to be kind to one another—after it has been stabbed by the blade of unequal chances at survival.
Salvation and the instinct for safety are luxuries for the lacking and peace for the kind—if nurtured.
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