Tilghman, Alimta, Commencement: Only Half the Story
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Princeton’s President praises the lifesaving drug but neglects to mention how the University is seeking to block cheaper generic versions.
By Sebastian Jones
Several weeks ago I wrote an article for our sister publication, the Nassau Weekly, about Princeton’s corporate relationships, the potential problems they present and the fact it is extremely difficult for interested students and faculty to figure out what exactly is going on.
One of the examples I highlighted dealt with Alimta, a lifesaving cancer medicine manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly under a license from Princeton University, who owns the patent for the drug’s key component. As I noted in the story, Alimta can be rather expensive– up to $11,000 a month– and while some patients are hoping for a cheaper alternative, they will have to wait longer because Eli Lilly and Princeton have filed a series of suits in federal court to prevent the production of a generic version. If these cheaper alternatives enter the market, Princeton and Eli Lilly claim they “will be substantially and irreparably damaged.”
Eli Lilly’s motivations and those of the generic drug companies involved are evident: they out to make a profit. But what is Princeton University, a non-profit institution of higher learning fond of saying it acts in the nation’s service, doing in the midst of the controversial fight over the price and accessibility of pharmaceuticals and the production of generics? Follow the money:
Eli Lilly has told the SEC their arrangement with Princeton ensures the university a “single-digit percentage” cut of the sales of the drug in exchange for exclusive license to produce Alimta. Net sales for the drug topped 1.15 billion in 2008, meaning Princeton scooped up somewhere between roughly $11 and $104 million from their partnership with Eli Lilly. Beyond the licensing agreement, Eli Lilly has given the University $500,000 for an endowed graduate fellowship.
sebastian @ June 9, 2009
Paul Muldoon, Friday and Sunday
Posted in: Discourse on WPRB News | Comments (0)
In collaboration with the WPRB’s Publicity and Promotions department, News will be presenting an interview today and Sunday with poet and part-time rock star, Paul Muldoon. Muldoon is the Howard G. B. Clark Professor and Chair of the Peter B. Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University. His collections include New Weather (1973), Meeting the British (1987), Moy Sand and Gravel (2002, garnered a Pulitzer Prize) and, most recently, Horse Latitudes (2006). He is also the Poetry editor of the New Yorker magazine. Though best known for his own poetry, Muldoon writes lyrics and plays guitar in a band called Rackett. Rackett is scheduled to perform Saturday May 2nd at the Performing Arts Center in Princeton New Jersey and at the Bowery Poetry Club on May 16 and June 20. A returning guest on Discourse, Muldoon focuses this time on the connections between his poetry and his music. Tune in today at around 7:30 EST (subject to change) and Sunday, May 3rd at 12:00pm EST. Or just listen here:
Part I
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Part II
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Web Extra:
This is Muldoon’s second appearance on Discourse. During his first interview on the show, Muldoon read his poem “Wind and Tree” from New Weather (1973).
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newsdirector @ May 1, 2009
Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, on Discourse
Posted in: Discourse on WPRB News | Comments (0)
Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench
From Discourse, Sunday April 19 at 12:00 pm EST, produced by Nikki Leon.
A conversation with filmmaker Damien Chazelle, whose debut picture, Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, is being feaured in the “Discovery” category at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival. Guy and Madeline is a musical, a gritty, vérité-style jazz flick, and, at its core, a love story. Catch the world premier at Tribeca this April 23rd, or check out the festival website for following showtimes and tickets.
Promo:
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Part I:
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nikki @ April 19, 2009
The Latest in Cell Research
Posted in: Discourse on WPRB News | Comments (0)
Photo credit: kaibara87
From Discourse, Sunday April 19 at 12:30 pm EST, produced by Sophie Jin and Yihe Dong.
In this episode we take a look at the life cycle of a cell, and a particular state called “quiescence,” which may hold the key to developments in cancer research. Dong sits down with Hilary Coller, a leading molecular biologist at Princeton University, to discuss her work.
Part I:
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nikki @ April 19, 2009
The Arts and Sciences from WPRB News
Posted in: Updates | Comments (0)
This week, tune in for a double edition of Discourse, featuring the latest in film and the future of molecular biology.
Sunday at 12:00 pm EST, join News Director Nikki Leon for a conversation with filmmaker Damien Chazelle, whose debut picture—Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench—is being featured at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival. Listen to the promo:
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If you miss the broadcast or want to hear it a second time, come back to WPRB News for both episodes.
nikki @ April 19, 2009
The Latest in Nanotechnology
Posted in: Discourse on WPRB News | Comments (0)
Photo credit: Wonderlane
From Discourse, Sunday April 12 at 12:00 pm EST, produced by Nikki Leon and Alfred Miller.
In this episode, we take a look at a new technology, “nanoimprint lithography” developed by Princeton University scientist Stephen Chou. We explore how this method of building things on a “nano” scale can be used in a variety of areas, from building microchips to examining DNA. Chou reflects his work with Science correspondent Alfred Miller. MIT’s Technology Review has named nanoimprint lithography one of the “10 emerging technologies that will change the world” twice—first in 2003, and again this year, for its applications in DNA sequencing.
Part I
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Part II
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Part III
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nikki @ April 12, 2009
Jon Greenwald on American Diplomacy in the Middle East
Posted in: Discourse on WPRB News | Comments (0)
Photo credit: Cecilio M. Ricardo Jr.
From Discourse, Sunday April 12 at 12:00 pm EST, produced by Sophie Jin.
In this installment, Jin sits down with Jon Greenwald, Vice President of the International Crisis Group, to talk about about the repercussions of the US War on Terror in the Middle East and the role President Barack Obama has played in changing the diplomatic climate of the region.
Part I
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Part II
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Part III
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Web Extra: More on Afghanistan
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sophie @ April 12, 2009
Foreign Policy and Nanotechnology on Discourse
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Photo credit: BotheredByBees
Sunday at 12:00 pm EST, join producer Sophie Jin for an interview with Jon Greenwald, Vice President of the International Crisis Group and former director of the U.S. Department of State Office of Counter-Terrorism. Greenwald discusses the state of American involvement in the Middle East and how the Obama administration is shaping perspectives on America worldwide.
Then, at 12:30 pm EST, Nikki Leon and Alfred Miller take a look at a new technology, called “nanoimprint lithography,” developed by Princeton University scientist Stephen Chou. Nanoimprint lithography allows scientists to build structures on the tiniest scale—including ever-smaller microchips and special molds used in DNA sequencing. Miller speaks with Chou about his discoveries.
If you miss the broadcast or want to hear it a second time, come back here to listen to both episodes.
newsdirector @ April 11, 2009
Endowment Officially Drops 30%
Posted in: Breaking News | Comments (0)
While all signs had already pointed in the direction of a 30% loss for Princeton’s endowment this year, an e-mail from Princeton University President Shirley Tilghman, sent this morning, made the news official.
sebastian @ April 6, 2009
Tony Rothman and Sacred Mathematics
Posted in: Discourse on WPRB News | Comments (1)
Image credit: syvwich
From Discourse, Sunday April 5 at 12:30 pm EST, an interview with physicist and author Tony Rothman about his latest book, Sacred Mathematics. Rothman reads from his book and examines how Japanese mathematics flourished, along with other strains of national culture, during Japan’s pre-19th century period of isolation from the west. Produced by Nikki Leon.
Part I
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Part II
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Part III
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newsdirector @ April 5, 2009