European Perspective For Effective Cancer: Ethical Concerns And Theoretical Analysis

The Rising Prices of Cancer Drugs in the UK

Discuss about the European Perspective for Effective Cancer.

The technological advancements due to the rise of the globalization have enhanced the medical treatments to a different level. However, in most of the cases, it is found that it appeases the entire population through the medicine named poisons. As the medical alliance seems to be the one of the most significant component in the globalized nation, the propaganda of the medial alliance seems to be successfully implemented among the population at the same time. The scholars have identified that with the advancements of technology, a great section of the society has developed the unethical behaviors for their own profit (Prasad, & Mailankody, 2016). The business practices are now not done in an ethical manner. The CSR or the Corporate Social responsibility refers to the charitable practices of the business by the organizations and their idea of economic, environmental and social responsibility towards the entire community. However in the recent times, people are being more concerned about the corporate social responsibility, even though most of the organizations are taking decisions in favor of their own profit. The recent news paper article by Anjana Ahuja ‘Cancer fund failure highlights the dilemma of drug pricing’ put emphasis on the issues regarding the high rising prices of the drugs especially of such critical diseases like cancer. In discussing the article, this essay will evaluate the issue through the theories Utilitarianism and Kant’s Categorical Imperative.

The prices of drugs are rising in a rapid way, however, the recent research in UK have shown that the funds for the cancer patients are basically nothing but a showpiece for the politicians. The researchers have spent a huge amount of money in the researches but there is no such inexpensive drugs for the cancer patients until the medicine companies are scratching the prices of (Martinalbo et al., 2016). A recent analysis has also shown that fund for the cancer patients are mostly not for any good value also, it may result into the suffering of the patients from several toxic side effects as well. However, few drugs are still the essential ones, but they have a higher price in the market. Even though the medicine businesses are making profit from this, it gives rise to an ethical dilemma that whether the companies should continue keeping their prices or not. If they do, the failure of the cancer funds can be managed, even though that will enhance the chances of many patients not getting sufficient drugs (Lewis et al., 2014). This article indicates to the ethical concern f the medical companies who can reach the appropriate drugs to the patients.

Utilitarianism Theory

If the other factors such as the continuous side effects of the drugs and the quality of life are considered in measuring its value to the patients as it was defined by the oncologists, most of the drugs have failed and does not show any kind of clinical benefit. In addition to that, the researchers have also indicated that the benefits that have been expected and tested in the clinical trials, in the real world, those chances are way too less. On the selected bunch of medical participants, the study had shows less side effects. Also, most of the times, the participants in the study are younger therefore those results cannot be compared to the real life outcomes. Most of the time, the researchers have concluded that the practice tend to indicate to the ineffectiveness of the drugs as it initiates the avoidable toxicities in the patients (Ferrario & Kanavos, 2015). Due to the huge wastage of the resources in the researches the prices of the drugs are rising at the same time. It will also assess the ethical perspective of the spending of resources because of a research that is not even succession in recent times. Then it will provide a framework that may help to deal with the ethical dilemma faced by the companies.

The researches that were conducted in UK shows that the cancer fund stated in 2010 and continued till 2016, and during this time the fund entirely cost total of £1.27 billion, which is similar to the total expenses of all the cancer drugs in NHS. However, the drugs that have been implemented and tastes during this time, the results have indicated that those studies does not make much differences in the real life, even if they are clinically tasted. Also, at the end, no such evidences were provided. However, even if the research may seem void to many, the research can also be justified under the Utilitarianism theory. This theory indicates to the ultimate happiness that comes from the allover pleasure and satisfaction that comes from the entire process (Alon & Lehrer, 2017). The morality of any action can be justified under this theory, if that action is providing the ‘net utility gain’. In addition to that this theory also indicates that the net utility gain can be referred to the net beneficial constraints of the action than the harmful constraints of the action Therefore, under this theory the cancer fund issue can be justifies as even if it causes a huge loss currently, it may enhance to the final outcome of the research. As this theory considers the consequences, the act can be justified within the medical context.

Kant’s Categorical Imperative Theory

However, the rising prices of the cancer drugs due to the extensive and expensive research on the drugs, can also be unjustified if the theory of Kant is considered. Under this theory, any action can only be ethically justifies in accordance to the moral values and duties of an individual. Unlike the previous theory, this theory tends to judge the purpose of the action, not the consequences of the action. This theory states that the morality and the purposes of thee action are more essential than the consequences of the action (Aune, 2014). Despite the fact the huge amount of money spent in the cancer funds may result into an extensive form that may cure the disease permanently, the current outcomes cannot be considered to be a great one. As Kant’s theory explains the morality of any action, the huge spending on the cancer fund cannot be justified. The rising prices of the cancer drugs not only create a barrier in the study, it also creates a gap between the patients and the available medicines. As the prices are going really high, they are difficult to obtain my many of the patients. This theory, therefore, considers the practice to be immoral and tends to focus more on the moral values concerned with the theory. In addition to that, this theory also indicates that the even if the studies may result into something tangible in the near future, it does not focus on lowering the prices, rather the medicine companies will keep on raising the prices of the medicines.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be said that, the essay had analyzed whether the research on the cancer drugs are ethical or not, even if it gives rise to the prices of the medicines. This also focuses on the necessity of the CSR activities that are essential for any social activity. The critical analysis with both the theories has indicated that even if the activity can be justified with the Utilitarianism theory, Kant’s theory nullifies it focusing on the moral values of the activity.

Reference List and Bibliography

Aggarwal, A., & Sullivan, R. (2014). Affordability of cancer care in the United Kingdom–Is it time to introduce user charges?. Journal of Cancer Policy, 2(2), 31-39.

Alon, S., & Lehrer, E. (2017). Subjective Utilitarianism: Decisions in a social context.

Aune, B. (2014). Kant’s theory of morals. Princeton University Press.

Ferrario, A., & Kanavos, P. (2015). Dealing with uncertainty and high prices of new medicines: a comparative analysis of the use of managed entry agreements in Belgium, England, the Netherlands and Sweden. Social science & medicine, 124, 39-47.

Kontoghiorghe, C. N., Andreou, N., Constantinou, K., & Kontoghiorghes, G. J. (2014). World health dilemmas: Orphan and rare diseases, orphan drugs and orphan patients. World journal of methodology, 4(3), 163.

Lacombe, D., Tejpar, S., Salgado, R., Cardoso, F., Golfinopoulos, V., Aust, D., … & Stupp, R. (2014). European perspective for effective cancer drug development. Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, 11(8), 492-498.

Lewis, J. R. R., Lipworth, W., Kerridge, I., & Doran, E. (2014). Dilemmas in the compassionate supply of investigational cancer drugs. Internal medicine journal, 44(9), 841-845.

Lu, D. Y., Lu, T. R., Xu, B., Qi, R. X., S Yarla, N., Zhou, X. D., & Ding, J. (2016). Cancer Metastasis, a Clinical Dilemma for Therapeutics. Current Drug Therapy, 11(2), 163-169.

Martinalbo, J., Bowen, D., Camarero, J., Chapelin, M., Démolis, P., Foggi, P., … & Oliveira, J. (2016). Early market access of cancer drugs in the EU. Annals of Oncology, 27(1), 96-105.

Prasad, V., & Mailankody, S. (2016, June). The UK Cancer Drugs Fund Experiment and the US Cancer Drug Cost Problem. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 91, No. 6, pp. 707-712). Elsevier.