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Dear Linda: I'm afraid I must disagree with your conclusions. Drug companies that choose not to participate in EU markets are not withholding treatments for the sick. I know that these companies are far from popular, and probably rightly so. But in acting in their stockholders' and management's best interest, they actually do (and must if they are to be successful) act in their customers' best interest. It is in our interest if successful new drugs are developed. The price of holding down prices by countries and communities is fewer drugs developed, though drugs already out probably bear a lower cost to those lucky enough to get them. This is a happy outcome for those who will never need new drugs to be developed. Unfortunately, even the currently healthy can not say with certainty they will always be in the position where new medications might not benefit them. Companies will only develop successful new drugs if their projections show that revenues from these will make up for their many unsuccessful efforts. I favor fewer attempts to control this market. Free enterprise has many failings but other systems have many more. Michael in Tampa Father is PWP [log in to unmask] --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.307 / Virus Database: 168 - Release Date: 12/11/2001 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn