--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Private companies mostly manufacture…" description: "\"Private companies mostly manufacture medications that resemble what we've already got. They get it patented and, with a hefty dose of marketing, a legi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/907/rutger-bregman-2463_lawyers_private-companies-mostly-manufacture-med_2069062.jpg" --- # Private companies mostly manufacture medications that… ![“Private companies mostly manufacture medications that resemble what we've already got. They get it patented and, with a hefty dose of marketing, a legion of lawyers, and a strong lobby, can live off the profits for years.” quote by Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/907/rutger-bregman-2463_lawyers_private-companies-mostly-manufacture-med_2069062.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/907/rutger-bregman-2463_lawyers_private-companies-mostly-manufacture-med_2069062.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/907/rutger-bregman-2463_lawyers_private-companies-mostly-manufacture-med_2069062.jpg) > “Private companies mostly manufacture medications that resemble what we've already got. They get it patented and, with a hefty dose of marketing, a legion of lawyers, and a strong lobby, can live off the profits for years.” [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques how private firms dominate drug production, using patents, marketing, legal teams, and lobbying to profit from existing medicines rather than innovating. **In simple terms:** Companies profit from existing drugs using patents and marketing. Key Takeaway Advocate for competition and transparency in pharma. Themes pharma ethics competition innovation Mood critical concerned Type political activist When to use this quote - healthcare reform - policy advocacy - consumer awareness Key Concepts economics public policy Questions to Reflect On - How can policies encourage true drug innovation? - What role should public funding play? A Different Perspective Profit motives can stifle genuine innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Lawyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyers/) [Marketing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketing/) ## Related quotes > [All companies are service companies; some also manufacture products.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/all-companies-are-service-companies-some-also-manufacture-products/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [Any bailout of a private company is a bad decision by our federal government. Private companies have the right to succeed, but they also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-salmon/any-bailout-of-a-private-company-is-a-bad-decision-by-our-federal/) [Matt Salmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-salmon/) > [“the American public doesn’t mourn contractor deaths the way we do the deaths of our soldiers. We rarely even hear about them. Private companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-american-public-doesn-t-mourn-contractor-deaths-the-way-we-do-the/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [The idea that we should trust the security of our digital spaces to private companies that have no accountability except to themselves is ridiculous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wylie/the-idea-that-we-should-trust-the-security-of-our-digital-spaces-to/) [Christopher Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-wylie/) > [There are positives and negatives to publicly traded and private companies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-su/there-are-positives-and-negatives-to-publicly-traded-and-private/) [Lisa Su](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-su/) > [If the government can manage to collect and release personal information in a secure and useful way, so can private companies, which will empower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/if-the-government-can-manage-to-collect-and-release-personal/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [I chose to invest everything in my own private companies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-screwvala/i-chose-to-invest-everything-in-my-own-private-companies/) [Ronnie Screwvala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-screwvala/) > [Private companies can make a personal profile, direct you to things - they will say - that you would be interested in, but that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/private-companies-can-make-a-personal-profile-direct-you-to-things/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [In private companies that are successful, the management have learnt to put their staff first, customers second, shareholders last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enfield/in-private-companies-that-are-successful-the-management-have-learnt/) [Harry Enfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enfield/) > [If the CIA and other U.S. intelligence agencies were private companies and were chronically unable to accomplish one of their key missions, their shareholders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/if-the-cia-and-other-u-s-intelligence-agencies-were-private-companies/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The NSA buys data from private companies, so the private companies are the source of all this stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/the-nsa-buys-data-from-private-companies-so-the-private-companies-are/) [Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/) > [Private companies should be building businesses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/private-companies-should-be-building-businesses/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [With the globalization, it's difficult for governments to impose decisions on private companies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ehud-barak/with-the-globalization-it-s-difficult-for-governments-to-impose/) [Ehud Barak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ehud-barak/) > [Conservatives by and large believe in the corrective power of the free market above all. If we don't like how private companies are doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kirk/conservatives-by-and-large-believe-in-the-corrective-power-of-the/) [Charlie Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kirk/) > [The vast majority of companies don't go public and mint dozens of millionaires. And most companies don't go around doling out stock options; private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-yang/the-vast-majority-of-companies-don-t-go-public-and-mint-dozens-of/) [Andrew Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-yang/) ## More by Rutger Bregman > [“If all the developed countries would let in just 3% more immigrants, the world’s poor would have $305 billion more to spend, say scientists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/if-all-the-developed-countries-would-let-in-just-3-more-immigrants/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“When Lehman Brothers collapsed on September 15, 2008, and inaugurated the biggest crisis since the 1930s, there were no real alternatives to hand. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/when-lehman-brothers-collapsed-on-september-15-2008-and-inaugurated/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [I think one of the most important facts of basic income would be that it's not only a redistribution of income, but also of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/i-think-one-of-the-most-important-facts-of-basic-income-would-be-that/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [The great thing about money is that people can use it to buy things they need instead of things self-appointed experts think they need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/the-great-thing-about-money-is-that-people-can-use-it-to-buy-things/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“The idea that the GDP still serves as an accurate gauge of social welfare is one of the most widespread myths of our times.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/the-idea-that-the-gdp-still-serves-as-an-accurate-gauge-of-social/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [Most of Mark Zuckerberg's income is just rent collected off the millions of picture and video posts that we give away daily for free.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/most-of-mark-zuckerberg-s-income-is-just-rent-collected-off-the/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“To calculate the GDP, numerous data points have to be linked together and hundreds of wholly subjective choices made regarding what to count and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/to-calculate-the-gdp-numerous-data-points-have-to-be-linked-together/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“Countless studies have shown that people who work less are more satisfied with their lives.37 In a recent poll conducted among working women, German…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/countless-studies-have-shown-that-people-who-work-less-are-more/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“Precisely when we should be shouldering the historic task of investing this rich, safe, and healthy existence with meaning, we’ve buried utopia instead. There’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/precisely-when-we-should-be-shouldering-the-historic-task-of/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [Believing in the good of humanity is a revolutionary act - it means that we don't need all those managers and CEO's, kings and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/believing-in-the-good-of-humanity-is-a-revolutionary-act-it-means/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [Poor people aren't making dumb decisions because they are dumb, but because they're living in a context in which anyone would make dumb decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/poor-people-aren-t-making-dumb-decisions-because-they-are-dumb-but/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“The bottom line is that wealth can be concentrated somewhere, but that doesn’t also mean that’s where it’s being created. This is just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/the-bottom-line-is-that-wealth-can-be-concentrated-somewhere-but-that/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“Recently, the International Monetary Fund published a report which revealed that too much inequality even inhibits economic growth.22 Perhaps the most fascinating finding, however,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/recently-the-international-monetary-fund-published-a-report-which/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“Not coincidentally, the countries with the shortest workweeks also have the largest number of volunteers and the most social capital.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/not-coincidentally-the-countries-with-the-shortest-workweeks-also/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [It matters so much that from a very early age we encounter different kinds of different people, because that's what real life should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/it-matters-so-much-that-from-a-very-early-age-we-encounter-different/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) [Explore all 164 Rutger Bregman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) ## More Drug quotes > [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. 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This kid finds a gun, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-saw-this-anti-drug-commercial-that-showed-a-kid-smoking-pot-in-his/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [The miracle drugs (neuroleptics) cause the worst plague of brain damage in medical history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-breggin/the-miracle-drugs-neuroleptics-cause-the-worst-plague-of-brain-damage/) [Peter Breggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-breggin/) > [I've always considered making it legal for Americans to import their prescription drugs a free-trade issue. Imports create competition and keep domestic industry more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-grassley/i-ve-always-considered-making-it-legal-for-americans-to-import-their/) [Chuck Grassley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-grassley/) > [There is a nationwide shortage of drugs for Attention Deficit Disorder. The FDA says they're not sure how it happened. I guess somebody wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/there-is-a-nationwide-shortage-of-drugs-for-attention-deficit/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Antidepressants are the biggest fraud in the world. 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