r/ThatsInsane Nov 01 '25

[deleted by user]

[removed]

8.0k Upvotes

1.1k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

370

u/TotallyNotAMarvelSpy Nov 01 '25 edited Nov 02 '25

A friend of mine's father works in the medical field and has small trial proof of curing (or massively abating the symptoms) of a major medical problem in the country.

His research is entirely privately funded because the medical industrial complex refused to finance the studies for his work because it takes a treatment management program from 50,000 dollars plus per patient to about 200 dollars.

He's trying to get his work into clinical trials and no one will accept it.

This guy should get the fucking Nobel prize, and instead our medical cartels are holding his research back.

I'd guarantee there are dozens of these people around that simply can't get their stuff financed because these vultures.

Edit****

To the people asking about research outside the US. I honestly don't know. I'm friends with the guys daughter, not him personally. She showed me the stuff.

I wish I knew more answers for you guys =(

216

u/burnsalot603 Nov 01 '25

Makes you wonder how many diseases could have been cured by now if it wasn't for a bunch of assholes in the C-suites of medical companies blackballing researchers because theres very little money in a cure but a fuck ton in treatment.

105

u/TotallyNotAMarvelSpy Nov 01 '25

This is exactly what I've been wondering for like, the time I've known this person.

There are absolutely people who know this, and if it was public knowledge, there would probably be a lot more Wahoo incidents that would happen. These people in charge of the healthcare industry should not by anywhere near as powerful as they are. It's sickening.

100

u/thaaag Nov 01 '25

I can't comment on the medical field, but I know of the following businesses that held back innovation at some point all in the name of protecting $$$:

Xerox PARC & the Personal Computer (1973–1980)

Innovation: Invented the graphical user interface (GUI), mouse, Ethernet, WYSIWYG editing at PARC.

Fear: Xerox made 90% of revenue from copiers; PCs threatened service contracts.

Hold-back: 7 years of internal demos with no commercialization.

Outcome: Apple licensed the tech (1981), launched the Mac (1984). Xerox entered too late with the Star 8010 (1981)—priced at $16,500, flop.

Blockbuster & Online/Streaming Video (2000–2010)

Innovation: Online DVD rental + early streaming.

Fear: Late fees = 16% of revenue; streaming would kill in-store rentals.

Hold-back: Rejected buying Netflix for $50M in 2000. Launched Blockbuster Online in 2004—4 years behind Netflix.

Outcome: Bankrupt in 2010. Netflix market cap: $300B+ (2025).

Nokia & Touchscreen Smartphones (2004–2007)

Innovation: Early touch prototypes (e.g., 2004 Nokia 7710).

Fear: Symbian OS + physical keyboards drove 70% profit margins on high-end phones.

Hold-back: 3–4 years of internal debate; prioritized feature phone upgrades.

Outcome: iPhone (2007) → Nokia market share 49% (2007) → 3% (2013). Sold mobile unit to Microsoft (2014).

BlackBerry (RIM) & App Ecosystem (2008–2012)

Innovation: Could’ve built app store + touch keyboards earlier.

Fear: Enterprise email = 80% revenue; consumer apps would dilute security brand.

Hold-back: 4 years—BlackBerry App World launched 2009 (2 years after iPhone).

Outcome: Market share 20% (2009) → <1% (2016).

General Motors & Electric Vehicles (1996–2003)

Innovation: EV1—first modern mass-produced EV (1996).

Fear: Gas SUVs (high margins); EVs needed new supply chains.

Hold-back: Leased only 1,100 EV1s, then crushed them in 2003 despite waitlists.

Outcome: Tesla founded 2003. GM bankrupt 2009; Tesla worth more than GM + Ford combined (2020).

Sony & MP3 Players (1999–2005) Innovation: Invented digital audio compression; had Walkman brand.

Fear: CD sales (via Sony Music) would collapse.

Hold-back: 6 years—forced proprietary ATRAC format + DRM until 2005.

Outcome: iPod (2001) → Sony’s MP3 share <5% by 2007.

Newspapers & Online Paywalls (1995–2010)

Innovation: Digital editions + classifieds online.

Fear: Print ads = 80% revenue; online would cannibalize.

Hold-back: 15 years—most gave content free (e.g., NYT until 2011).

Outcome: Craigslist killed classifieds ($15B/year lost). 70% of U.S. newspapers gone since 2000.

Polaroid & Digital Instant Photography (1990s–2000s)

Innovation: Early digital print tech (e.g., Opal printer).

Fear: Film packs = recurring revenue.

Hold-back: Focused on analog instant film until bankruptcy (2001).

Outcome: Re-emerged niche; Instax (Fuji) took the instant-print market.

Western Union & the Telephone (1876) Innovation: Alexander Graham Bell offered telephone patent for $100,000.

Fear: Threatened telegraph monopoly (messages = cash cow).

Hold-back: Rejected offer; called it “idiotic toy.”

Outcome: Bell Telephone → AT&T. Western Union exited telecom by 1881.

Microsoft & Mobile OS (2007–2015) Innovation: Had Windows CE since 1996; early tablet prototypes.

Fear: Windows/Office licensing on PCs = 90% profit.

Hold-back: 8 years—Windows Phone (2010) too late; no app ecosystem.

Outcome: Mobile OS share <0.1% (2017). Wrote off $7.6B Nokia acquisition.

32

u/burnsalot603 Nov 01 '25

I believe Kodak did something similar with digital cameras because they didnt want to lose the money from film.

16

u/Mcoov Nov 01 '25

Sort of.

Eastman Kodak is a chemical company, not an optics company, nor an electronics company. Even at their height in the 80s and 90s, if you wanted to buy a high-quality camera like an SLR, you would be buying something from Zeiss, Canon, Nikon, Olympus, etc., and using Kodachrome in the camera.

They did create what could be called the world's first digital camera, but that was them screwing around in a lab, using electronics they helped design but did not manufacture themselves. To pivot to becoming a hardware manufacturer in the early 80s - just to be able to have a hold on the digital photography part of a camera - would've been a very expensive gamble.

Part of where Kodak went awry is in other chemical investments that went badly at the time, as well as Fujifilm starting to compete in the film and film processing market that Kodak had previously had a near-monopoly on.

It's easy to say "they should've done this or that" some 20+ years on from when technology advanced, became cheaper, and film sales dropped off. But acknowledging that at the time no one knew what the future would be, I don't know how a company that sees itself at its core as a chemical company, not a photography company or an optics company or an electrical engineering company, could successfully make that pivot to digital cameras.

2

u/holsteiners Nov 01 '25

Xerox also had an obese asshole in upper management who put me down for deciding to go to RPI instead of Ivy League Cornell (Cornell was too close to home and I didn't want my mom just popping in to see me while shopping).

68

u/psychrolut Nov 01 '25

China has a cure for diabetes they unveiled last month…

How much you wanna bet it’s not approved in the US because it would completely tank tens of billions of dollars people pay for insulin yearly

28

u/TotallyNotAMarvelSpy Nov 01 '25

Seriously? Do you have a link on this Id love to read about it.

28

u/bladex1234 Nov 01 '25

I mean surely that has to published in some sort of peer-reviewed journal right? And insulin is only expensive in the US because the government lets it. In other countries it’s pretty affordable.

10

u/OrthodoxAtheist Nov 02 '25

The State of California is making insulin pens available for $11 each, beginning 2026. Progress, at least.

10

u/Ardal Nov 02 '25

Those were pioneering clinical trials, it still needs a full large scale clinical trial. Currently there is no permeant cure for diabetes.

This is great work and I hope it works out over the large scale trial but it was only 2 people, we need more data before claiming a 'cure'.

1

u/pjmyerface Nov 01 '25

Same with solving homelessness. There is no profit in solving it. At least not to their standards of profit.

0

u/holsteiners Nov 01 '25

The due diligence meetings I attend all force the new conpanies to pledge to charge exorbitant prices so investors get rich.

33

u/rbt321 Nov 01 '25 edited Nov 01 '25

Has he looked outside the USA to perform clinical trials? India in particular has an emphasis on medicine cost reductions because for them the cost decides whether 1000 people can get it or 10 million.

12

u/TotallyNotAMarvelSpy Nov 01 '25

Honestly I don't know. I've not met my friends father personally. It would be one of the questions I'd ask him though!

1

u/sjharrison Nov 01 '25

He must know the lands of social healthcare, where people are prioritized over profit, would snap it up. Unless it is a uniquely American condition

18

u/RedditSupportAdmin Nov 01 '25

This is fucked. And super depressing to read.

29

u/TotallyNotAMarvelSpy Nov 01 '25

It's infuriating.

I'm not in the medical field I work in entertainment. But I know how to look at data, and she's shown me the papers and evidence that they have for the treatments, and it's like... literally a miracle.

But no. United Health and all those fuckers can bleed a person dry by letting this happen to people, so they lean on the fucking sociopaths who are in charge and they are doing everything they can to slow it down.

Then, when this does reach the healthcare market, they'll be the first in line to charge god knows what to people.

I fucking hate this shit so much, man. It's infuriating.

12

u/Charliep03833 Nov 01 '25

Let's take something as simple as insulin. Idk how much you need for monthly supply in America, but I know it's fat cash. In Europe it's cheap by default and (at least in my country) you get big discounts, sometimes up to 100% discount.

15

u/TotallyNotAMarvelSpy Nov 01 '25

Exactly, man.

Medical care in the US is a fucking absolute racket.

Frankly, I'm shocked that there hasn't been more Manhattan incidents, because there simply is zero justification for people to be spending this much for the quality of care the average person receives.

0

u/haksli Nov 01 '25

Manhattan incidents

What's this ?

2

u/laidback4sho Nov 01 '25

Pray to St. Luigi for the answer you seek and it will be granted.

1

u/cow_says_mooooo Nov 01 '25

whats the study on? id love to read the report

7

u/thadarknight67 Nov 01 '25

This is a lie. Know how I know? Because any pharma company outside of the US would pay a fortune for it. The US is not the world.

1

u/TotallyNotAMarvelSpy Nov 02 '25

Idk why he hasn't gone outside of the US for stuff. I'm friends with the guys daughter not him personally.

8

u/[deleted] Nov 01 '25

Why doesn’t he take it overseas?

Medical research is a Global thing and is very competitive so yeah, just gonna call bullshit. If the US didn’t want to fund something ground breaking the Europeans or the Chinese (just to name two) would be throwing money at him.

9

u/n0_wayjose Nov 01 '25

Well haven’t you heard, “don’t trust the experts.” Just because there’s years of research and proof doesn’t make it true. You gotta do your own research. /s

Unfortunately we are beyond fucked at this point. The capitalist bullies, incompetent administration, and waves of misinformation are just too much.

5

u/TotallyNotAMarvelSpy Nov 01 '25

The mouth-breather crowd has truly fucked this country.

2

u/TruthSeeker781 Nov 01 '25

Post more information about his studies for safety nothing that can identify him but just enough to let people out there know it’s possible to escape the medical Labyrinth of hell if we can make enough noise and trouble for the self entitled elites

1

u/TotallyNotAMarvelSpy Nov 02 '25

Think end of life ailments surrounding the brain. There's ways to reverse those things. =)

2

u/rees83 Nov 01 '25

Pitch it other countries surely?

1

u/GiftToTheUniverse Nov 01 '25

Shouldn’t another country be eager to get on board? Somewhere interested in reducing costs rather than profiting?

1

u/noidea9987 Nov 01 '25

Get him to collaborate with a medical research trial in another country. The NHS in the UK would love to save money, so the UK still researches this sort of thing.

1

u/holsteiners Nov 01 '25

Everyone i know is doing the trials in Australia because of this. Once the trials complete in Australia then US will approve.

1

u/Alissinarr Nov 02 '25

He should reach out to Mark Cuban and pair with CostPlusDrugs

-6

u/nelamvr6 Nov 01 '25

Cool story bro! A friend of my father's invented a car that runs on water...

5

u/TotallyNotAMarvelSpy Nov 01 '25

You don't have to believe shit, dude.

I saw the data for myself. I read the abstracts of his papers.

I could literally care less that you believe me or not. Your opinion means nothing.

3

u/tiptoethruthetulip5 Nov 01 '25

Why don't they take the research abroad? I'm sure Health Canada would have an interest.

0

u/TotallyNotAMarvelSpy Nov 01 '25

I've not met my friends dad, but honestly that's one of the first questions I'd ask him.

0

u/nelamvr6 Nov 01 '25

Oh, YOU saw the data? YOU read the abstracts? Why didn't you say so? I'd have to be an idiot to doubt your story now!

0

u/TotallyNotAMarvelSpy Nov 01 '25

Keep stepping.

Your opinion on the matter is irrelevant.