RE: No Time to Die... from COVID-19
04-11-2020, 05:19 PM (This post was last modified: 04-11-2020, 05:24 PM by hazard.)
04-11-2020, 05:19 PM (This post was last modified: 04-11-2020, 05:24 PM by hazard.)
Paraphrasing events from a couple of weeks ago (which I missed).
The Dutch testing labs: "We don't have enough buffer fluid to perform the COVID-19 tests."
Roche (holding 80% of the market in a vendor lock in scheme): "We are producing as much fluid as we can."
The labs: "We still don't have enough buffer fluid."
The Dutch government: "Why is there not enough fluid."
Roche: "We are producing as much fluid as we can."
The government: "No seriously, we need more buffer fluid than you are producing for our needs."
Roche: "The recipe we use to produce buffer fluid has been publicly available on the internet since 1990."
The labs: "Strictly speaking correct, but producing our own buffer fluid would induce slow downs in testing because we have to detail personnel, lab space and time to producing that fluid and verifying it's of the correct composition and to what extent it needs to be diluted for optimal effect for testing for COVID-19. Roche has a private secret recipe whose traits and margins are known and the equipment to produce it in bulk without impacting our testing efforts."
The government: "Roche, we desperately need more buffer fluid."
Roche: "We are producing as much fluid as we can."
The government: "Roche, if you can't meet demand disclose the recipe so that others can help meet demand"
Roche: "That recipe is proprietary and must remain secret to maintain our vendor lock in scheme."
Dutch graffiti on Roche Netherland's head office: "How many dead" "Fuck Roche's profits." (Note that the graffiti used the English expletive 'fuck'.)
The government: "Roche, next time we're not asking, we need more buffer fluid than you are producing. Make the recipe available to others who can take at least some of the demand or we will make it available to them by force of law."
Roche: "We are producing as much fluid as we can. We are currently looking for ways to increase our production capacity and for partners who can aid us in producing more buffer fluid to the necessary standards."
The Dutch testing labs: "We don't have enough buffer fluid to perform the COVID-19 tests."
Roche (holding 80% of the market in a vendor lock in scheme): "We are producing as much fluid as we can."
The labs: "We still don't have enough buffer fluid."
The Dutch government: "Why is there not enough fluid."
Roche: "We are producing as much fluid as we can."
The government: "No seriously, we need more buffer fluid than you are producing for our needs."
Roche: "The recipe we use to produce buffer fluid has been publicly available on the internet since 1990."
The labs: "Strictly speaking correct, but producing our own buffer fluid would induce slow downs in testing because we have to detail personnel, lab space and time to producing that fluid and verifying it's of the correct composition and to what extent it needs to be diluted for optimal effect for testing for COVID-19. Roche has a private secret recipe whose traits and margins are known and the equipment to produce it in bulk without impacting our testing efforts."
The government: "Roche, we desperately need more buffer fluid."
Roche: "We are producing as much fluid as we can."
The government: "Roche, if you can't meet demand disclose the recipe so that others can help meet demand"
Roche: "That recipe is proprietary and must remain secret to maintain our vendor lock in scheme."
Dutch graffiti on Roche Netherland's head office: "How many dead" "Fuck Roche's profits." (Note that the graffiti used the English expletive 'fuck'.)
The government: "Roche, next time we're not asking, we need more buffer fluid than you are producing. Make the recipe available to others who can take at least some of the demand or we will make it available to them by force of law."
Roche: "We are producing as much fluid as we can. We are currently looking for ways to increase our production capacity and for partners who can aid us in producing more buffer fluid to the necessary standards."