SBS DATELINE
Ep 28 –  DYING FOR MEDICINE IN AMERICA

19/11/19

Reporter: Calliste Weitenberg
Editor: Simon Phegan

ONE LINER:

In the lead up to the 2020 presidential election, the US is caught in a ferocious battle over prescription drug prices. With some life-saving medications rising in cost by more than 5000%. Dateline meets the Americans begging and borrowing to stay alive and turning to Australia for help.

1.       

PROGRAM TITLES

DYING FOR MEDICINE IN AMERICA

By Calliste Weitenberg and Simon Phegan

CARD + TC + VIDEO

VO + AUDIO

3.       

1. LANDON AT HOME RATIONING

LANDON AT HOME RATIONING

4.       

DRONE SHOTS

MUSIC

Big pharma is a trillion dollar industry.

And no one in the world spends more on prescription drugs than Americans.

Drug prices here are soaring and it has many begging and borrowing to stay alive.

5.       

CAL PTC + COFFEE ON DASHBOARD

DAY 08 00.06.06 CAL PTC/ I'm in Nashville Tennessee on my way to meet 23 year old type 1 diabetic. He's just rung saying he's extremely ill + been vomiting since he woke up + asked me to bring tea. So we're going to take it to him + see how he is.

6.       

DRIVING INTO TRAILER PARK SHOTS

00.10.05 CAL ARRIVES AT DOOR

SHOTS OF VOMIT BURN PATCHES

UPSOT KNOCKS AT DOOR + HOW YOU DOING BUDDY….

This is Landon Johnson – a type one diabetic - he’s been vomiting almost daily for the past two years.

It’s happening so regularly, he’s even started losing his teeth.

[00:12:08]I felt alright when I woke up but maybe 20 minutes later when I got in the shower I was so nauseous I was throwing up in the shower for maybe 10 or 15 minutes.

7.       

LANDON + CAL ENTER ROOM + HE SHOWS HE GARBAGE BAG

[00:16:25] CU plastic bag

DAY 08 [00:14:09] L: So this is pretty much my life in here, this is usually where I get sick

C: This is your room?

L: I keep a trash bag by the bed for when I get nauseous in the middle of the night.

[00:16:56] L: I usually buy scented bags just because it's awful.

Constantly high blood sugar levels from his type one diabetes has damaged the nerves in his stomach and caused a condition known as gastro paresis  - so he can barely digest food.

[01:54:26] L: there's dead patches outside around my porch from where I've thrown up so much. I’ll just all of a sudden not be able to hold down anything, I can’t digest food or water or anything.

8.       

LANDON GETS OUT BLOOD SUGAR TEST + PRICKS FINGER GETS READING

Landon is so sick because he isn’t getting enough insulin – the drug that diabetics rely on to reduce blood sugar levels.

9.       

LANDON WITH GLUCOSE READING

CU OF METRE

DAY 08 [00:26:43] L: Well 364 is not a good reading that's probably why I was sick this morning.

C: What is a normal reading - insulin reading?

[00:27:05] L: For a normal person that's not a diabetic a blood sugar reading that's normal would be 80 to 120. Mine's 364 so, yeah that's not awesome.

if I let it sit too long I would be in the hospital.

10.   

LANDON INJECTS INSULIN  + CAL WATCHING

[00:29:20] Landon squirts insulin in hand and takes shot. packs up kit

UPSOT INJECTS – OUCH

Landon tells me he recently aged off state welfare insurance which means now he’s uninsured.

Earning just 9.50 an hour at a nearby gas station, he says he can’t afford insulin. 

UPSOT/ That was fun.

In the kitchen – he shows me his supplies that are running out.

11.   

DAY 7 00.27.35 CAL AND LANDON WALK TO KITCHEN.

LANDON AT FRIDGE + GETS INSULIN OUT

CU OF FOUR PENS

So as you can see...

[00:29:08] C: you've only got 4 pens.

[00:29:10] L: Four pens and this half vial.

[00:29:13] C: Wow. 

[00:29:14] L: And then that's it and that may last me a month, a month and a half at most. At it's really pricey. It's probably $500 to pick up a pack of 5 of these pens and that's a lot through just one part of the whole puzzle you know.

[00:30:04] C: Are you worried about this running out right now?

[00:30:06] L: Oh I think about that all the time. I think about that all day. Just worried about it and thinking about you know, I'm always going to have to use it so I'm always going to have to think about it.

[00:36:13] L: This is my life in my hands. Quite literally. [00:36:24] 

12.   

LANDON PUTS INSULIN BACK IN FRIDGE  

Around 7.5 million Americans rely on insulin – and its had some of the largest increases in costs in recent years. 

The price of just one 10-milliliter vial of Lantus - one of the most popular insulins on the market –has shot up from just $35 in 2001 to $270 today.

13.   

CAL + LANDON ON STEP CHAT

DAY 7

[01:45:46] C: Do you worry that this could kill you?

[01:45:49] L: That's yeah. Just yes. That's all I can say to that. cause that's a constant thought too. 

[01:46:02] L: Just that I'm gonna pass away before I'm old enough for that to make sense you know.

14.   

2. ANTROINETTE AT HOME + SHRINE

INTRO ANTROINETTE + NOT JUST UNINSURED BEING IMPACTED  

15.   

DRONE SHOTS CINCINATTI OHIO

MUSIC NATSOT / CHANCE ENCOUNTER

It’s not just the uninsured like Landon who are having trouble affording their prescriptions.

16.   

DRONE SHOTS OF HOUSE + BEDROOM WINDOW

Almost half of insured US adults under 65 are on ‘high deductible' plans so it only kicks in after they’ve spent 1000’s of dollars...

17.   

ANTROINETTE AT SHRINE

DAY 1 [00:13:45] ANTOINETTE - this is Antavia's area over here. The life of Antavia from birth to young adult. She was a very happy little girl.

Like Landon Johnson, Antavia Worsham was a type one diabetic. She died when she was just 22 years old.

[00:17:34] ANTOINETTE - She was photogenic. She loved taking photos. Loved taking photos. This one was our last Christmas.

Even though she had insurance, her mum says she died because she couldn’t afford her insulin.

00:57:00 Prior to her passing away and up to the age of 21 she had secondary coverage, but it only covered her until the age of 21.

But after she aged off I had to pick up what the primary didn't pay. And we just couldn't afford it.

That’s when she started rationing.

18.   

ANTROINETTE IN STREET

DAY 1 [02:07:26] ANTOINETTE - This where Antavia was living and she passed away at home... Her room was up there. [02:07:35] That was her window right there.

My son Damien found her. Her brother. She was face down. We sat that there on that kerb for a long time and they finally brought her out in that black bag. I never did get to see her.

Antavia died because prolonged high blood sugar levels essentially poisoned her body causing organ failure. This is known as diabetic ketoacidosis.

Even though she had that empty insulin pen in her bed. I didn't know that my baby had passed away due to rationing her insulin.

[02:10:24] CAL - So they found an insulin pen near her?

[02:10:26] ANTOINETTE - Beside her. Empty. She had used everything that she had.

19.   

ANTROINETTE WALKS DOWN HALL

ANTROINETTE CALLS DAUGHTER + SHOT OF DAUGHTER ON PHONE

Incredibly – Antroinette now faces the same problem all over again – with Antavia’s sister…  who’s also type one diabetic.

UPSOT ON PHONE/ 00:29:51: "good morning daughter. Goodmorning.  

THOUGHT TRACK/ [00:58:54] ANTOINETTE - Antonique is my youngest she's 19 years old. Right now she's covered…./but when she turns 21 she's going to age off.

00:31:20: How's your insulin, how much insulin do you have on hand right now?

00:31:25: Like 2 boxes left

0:31:33: Ok we definitely need more 

[01.00.35] THOUGHT TRACK/ I am scared i fear that soon I'll be possibly planning another service for a young child.

00:32:03: see you soon I love you.

20.   

POLITICS ARCHIVE

21.   

https://www.cnbc.com/video/2017/10/16/trump-will-get-prescription-drug-prices-way-down.html

Three years ago Donald Trump pledged to lower prescription prices.

00.50 TRUMP: A priority of mine will be the cost of prescription drugs – we’re gonna get them way down.

22.   

ADD MENTION OF STATES BRINGING IN CAPS ON INSULIN

But so far no concrete action has been taken.

23.   

PART 1 OF THE CNNNNYT DEM DEBATE…...MP4

31:00 BERNIE: the issue is whether the democratic party has the guts to stand up……to the corrupt, price fixing pharmaceutical industry (Applause)

24.   

INSULIN CARAVAN VISION

It’s now the biggest issue on the campaign trail ahead of next year’s presidential election…

25.   

PART 3 OF THE CNNNNYT DEM DEBATE…...MP4

20:26 HARRIS: The biggest pharmaceutical companies last year profited $72 billion.

26.   

PART 1 OF THE CNNNNYT DEM DEBATE…...MP4

27.44 WARREN The problem we’ve got right now is the overall cost of healthcare.

27.   

While Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders want Medicare for All….

28.   

President Trump has suggested legalising a mass importation of medicines from Canada….

29.   

But while both sides acknowledge there’s a problem – there’s still no bipartisan solution.

30.   

3. ANTROINETTE ROAD TRIP

31.   

TOLEDO DRONE SH OTS

32.   

CAL ANTROINETTE GET OUT OF CAR + MEET ANTANIQUE + GET IN CAR

UPSOT MEET + GREET GOOD MORNING ANTIANUQE - “You ready to go to Canada?”

33.   

Until there is - Antroinette and Antanique, are taking matters into their own hands.  

Today they are looking abroad to meet their medical needs.

34.   

ANTROINETTE IN CAR IV

00:44:52: We are headed to Windsor, Canada to purchase Antinique some insulin where it's less expensive than the US. 00:45:03

00:49:30: So what are you hoping to find out exactly when you get to the other side? IS THERE A REVERSAL OF ME

00:50:14: Yes difference in price for my own knowledge and Antanique's knowledge so that if laws are not changed soon and the pharmaceutical companies do not lower their drug prices in the US me and Antinique will know how much we will have to pay in Canada.

00:45:57: Have you ever done this before?

00:46:00: I have never done this before. 

I feel like I'm doing what needs to be done for my daughter to stay alive.

35.   

ANTANIQUE IN CAR IV

The Canadian border is a two hour drive from Antanqiue’s college.

Insulin formulas are the same there – and they’re made by the same manufacturers.

The only thing that’s different is the price.

36.   

00.57.16 ANTROINETTE DRIVING TO BORDER SECURITY

00.59.41 ARRIVES IN CANADA “WLECOME TO CANADA SHOT”

MUSIC + NATSOT

1:01:36: I can't believe this is Canada. 

37.   

GVS PHARMACY

01.11.12 ANTROINETTEE + ANTANIQUE WALK INSIDE

Just on the other side - there are 20 pharmacies catering to medical tourists.

At any one, Antanique can buy up to a 90 day supply of insulin for personal use only.

38.   

ACTUALITY BUYING MEDS

1:12:40 : Antoinette - Hi, we are here to purchase insulin today... Which insulin – novalog and lantus.

Give me one moment…

Ok so I have some ice packs…

1:20:24: So we have our box of Solantis and Novalock.

1:20:28: Would you like to know the prices?

1:20:30: Yes sir, yes please. 

1:22:19: So it's $90US for solstar ok and for the...

1:22:25: We can afford that, we can afford $90 every month.

1:22:38: So $65 plus 90 us $155 for a month. times 12 is $1145 per year for her insulin but in the US we pay this every 90 days.

……/That's not fair to the USA people. I'm just.... that's mind boggling. 1:23:24: That's, it breaks my heart.1:23:30:

39.   

IN SITU IV WITH PHARMACIST

1:40:00: Cal/ Are there a lot of Americans coming across the border to do this?

1:40:03: Yes. We get many phone calls every day

we had someone drive nearly 18 hours because they couldn't fly. 1:44:17

40.   

ANTROINETTE + ANTANIQUE TAKE MEDS + LEAVE

It’s estimated tens of millions of Americans now travel abroad like this for cheaper prescription drugs. 

41.   

POST IV OUTSIDE PHARMACY WITH ANTROINETTE + ANTANIIQUE

1:57:29: This is a relief because there's always a second option, just knowing there's like a backup plan if something goes bad. 1:57:39

1:57:40: Is it bittersweet at all?

1:57:43: Yeah. Just like we had to go through losing my sister to find out this information. 1:57:0

MUM - its just pharmaceutical greed - I'm very upset about it.

42.   

5. DR SAINI PROTEST

43.   

DAY 4 VIKAS MASTER IV

CUTS

MUSIC

MUSIC – SUSPENSE IN TIME 2/READYING THE SHIP/

DAY 4 [01:04:15] VIKAS: what we're facing is really a kind of humanitarian crisis and what we see is the tip of the iceberg. For every young person thats died, there are probably hundreds who are struggling.

[01:09:53] VIKAS: Antibiotics, many of which have been around for a long time, they've gone up in price - double or triple quite often.

The Epipen went from something like 80 dollars to 600 dollars. There was one case of medication for infantile [01:11:03] spasm, in which the price went up something like 10 000%.

44.   

RCA sign on window

[00:02:10] Cuts to Cal walking up stair-case

In Boston Masschusetts I’m joining Dr Vikas Saini who’s preparing to take on big pharma.     

He’s a cardiologist – with more than 30 years experience across community hospitals, private practises, and he teaches at Harvard University.

45.   

UPSOT DR SAINI/

Today Dr Saini and his fellow protesters are targeting one of the largest insulin manufacturers.

46.   

DR VIKAS AND PROTESTERS LOAD INTO CARS

UPSOT LOADING IN CARS

47.   

DR SAINI IN CAR

00.22.45 VIKAS Sanofi is one of three large manufacturers of Insulin. Together those three cover roughly 90% of the market. They are functioning like a cartel.

They do have it within their power to lower their prices, but of course it's not something they're going to do voluntarily.

48.   

PULLING UP AT SANOFI

DAY 4 MASTER IV

49.   

PROTESTERS ASSEMBLE AT SANOFI

MUSIC/ READYING THE SHIP 3

Alt/ Dr Saini says big pharma companies like Sanofi are abusing loopholes in the US patent system.

Finding ways to extent the patents of drugs, they prevent competition and keep their prices high.

50.   

CUTS

THOUGHT TRACK DAY 4 MASTER IV  

[01.18.30] in the case of insulin for example, some of the analog insulins, the patents have - I'm lapsing into british english there - the patent has been [01:18:45] extended by patenting the delivery mechanism not the medication itself. So there are various techniques for maintaining the monopoly. 

51.   

Even though the formula for insulin has barely changed in 100 years - Sanofi – the maker of Lantus insulin – has filed 74 patent applications on it alone.

This means it’s created the potential for a competition free monopoly for 37 years.

52.  ‘

PROTEST ACTUALITY AT SANOFI. 

DAY 5 UPSOT [00:36:29] Sanofi you can’t hide we can see your greedy side.

THOUGHT TRACK from the point of view of Wall St, that’s almost the natural and logical thing to do - if you can corner a market on something and then jack up the price [01:02:28] there is no countervailing force - there is no ability of the consumer to drop it and walk away.

[00:31:48] UPSOT  (Young shorter woman begins reading out the name of a woman who died Jada)….[00:32:30] She died because she could not afford the cost of her insulin. Bell rings

THOUGHT TRACK [01:02:40] they can make a killing and they are literally sometimes making a killing.

[00:36:11] UPSOT Protesters - No more deaths (3x)

53.   

DR VIKAS DAY 5 IN SITU

54.   

6 SENATE ARCHIVE

55.   

DRONE SHOTS + ARCHIVE OF PHARMA INQUIRY  

NATSOT + MUSIC SUSPENSE IN TIME

THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY ARGUES AMERICA IS CARRYING THE COST OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD.

1.06.00 I think you and others in the industry are stonewalling on the key issue, which is actually lowering list prices.

When called before Congress in February this year executives from 7 of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies argued if Americans stopped paying their high prices, investment in innovative treatments would fall.

1.14.00 The thing that most keeps me up at night is the fact that. we won't have a viable predictable market that will allow people to put very large amounts of money up at risk for a long period of time, in an attempt to find solutions to some of the hardest problems like Alzheimer’s.

1.14.39 in the future we won't get these drugs.

56.   

7. JOSH COHEN PRO PHARMA RETORT

57.   

MASTER IV

DAY 6 JOSH COHEN 01:06:25 this is not an industry like tobacco. It just isn't.

And the pharmaceutical industry is producing products that at least, in some cases, are life-saving and in many cases, are at least helping contribute to someone's health.

[01:07:01] J: So I think there's a big difference there.

58.   

DAY 6 EXT SHOT OF FANCY APARTMENT

CAL + JOSH MEET + GREET + WALK INTO APART

the

Josh Cohen is a pricing analyst who has spent 20 years at Tufts University researching drug development and says current prices are fair.  

59.   

JOSH COHEN IV

CAL/ DO you believe prices right now are fair?

[00:37:57] J: it's more complex than simply saying 'oh the prices are too high.' You need to calculate the price in relation to it's effectiveness. What is the drug doing for patients?

[00:37:25] J:so for example we have a number of gene therapies, that cost quite a bit of money. Some of them cost $700 000 or even more per patient.

 [00:37:39] J: But some of them promise a one-off cure and if indeed they deliver on that promise of a one-off cure, I think anyone would say that 700 000 is worth it.

Josh also says it’s not just big pharma raising the cost of drugs.

[00:46:00] J: they've had to cough up a lot in terms of rebates to insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers who have not always passed through those rebates to the end user, to the patient,  / to the family.

You could indeed say 'hey those list prices are too high for products such as insulin.'

[00:46:30] J: But at the same time, where are the rebates going? Where are they being retained as profit? Are they being passed through to employers and health plans but not passed through to the patient?  /That's a major problem. [01:03:42]

THIS IS WHAT’S WRONG WITH US DRUG PRICING.

IT REMAINS COMPLEX AND NON TRANSPARENT.

EVERYONE ALONG THE CHAIN IS MAKING MONEY WHILST THE CONSUMER, THE PERSON LEAST ABLE TO AFFORD IT, PAYS FOR THE SCHEME.

IF YOU’RE HIGHLY INSURED, YOU DON’T NOTICE – BUT IF YOU’RE NOT YOU GET HIT HARD.

60.   

9. ELMER AT HOME – ONLINE BLACKMARKET ALT

61.   

FLORIDA DRONE + SLOW MO GVS 

DRONE EXTERIOR OF CARAVAN

MUSIC + NATSOT LACUNA OR LACUNA 2

Until laws or the system change – everyday Americans who fall through the cracks – are being forced to turn to the black market.

62.   

ELMER FEEDING BABY

ULTRASOUND SHOT

TAKES BABY TO BED  

[00:11:59] Jen:, he's more like, he's the stay at home parent

[00:13:15] Baby crying 

[00:13:16] Jen: Look at you, you at almost the whole entire jar kid!

In Vero Beach, Florida, Elmer Massey is living with chronic hepatitis C.  

A former drug user, he’s been clean for 4 years….

…but if the hep c is not treated soon, it will destroy his liver, causing cancer or even death.  

UPSOT/ I’ve had it for five to ten years from what the doctor was saying and didn't even know it, It’s also highly contagious.

63.   

MASTER IV ELMER + JEN

[00:28:52] Taking baby to bed 

[00:31:05] Baby's room olay 

[00:32:48] Elma leaving baby's room

[00:15:29] ELMER - One of the things that I have to be most careful of is even just moving around a lot in the house, because if per say I catch myself on a nail or something, and I start bleeding, - he's teething right now, so he's kind of got open wounds in his mouth from the teeth, I'm worried that he might maybe get some of that blood on his binky or something and put it in his mouth, which that would be like a one way ticket to get it.

[00:16:01] like I constantly am very safe and very cautious of anything I do, to make sure that there’s no chance of me spreading it - it's insane to deal with. 

64.   

ELMER BELIEVES HE GOT HEP C FROM PAST DRUG USE OR HOMEMADE TATTOOES.

Hep C kills more Americans each year than any other infectious disease – yet it’s completely curable.

65.   

CAL + ELMER WITH BOX

[00:56:10] CAL So these are the medications

[00:56:13] ELMER yep. 

[00:59:29] ELMER here in the states, it would be about 20 000 to a hundred thousand…. US dollars. Which is insane, that's enough to put someone through a full tuition of college, enough to buy a house, And yet it fits into a small box. 

[00:58:16] CAL So what was it like when that package arrived?

[00:58:20] ELMER it was mind boggling. Because I knew that I had a breath of fresh life coming to me. Because this is just too insane, someone of my stature coming from nothing, can actually mean enough to someone else, to be helped out like this. 

Having been denied coverage, Elmer has purchased these medications from a seller - overseas.

 [01:01:17] CAL So does your doctor know that you are going to take these?

[01:01:20] ELMER No she doesn't. [01:01:47]

MOVE THIS HERE [01:04:07] ELMER I'm doing it on blind faith.

[01:03:04] JEN - I was more concerned because we don't know what they might of could have inserted into these pills  or where he's getting these medications from.

[01:04:39] ELMER If I don't take these, I may as well dig a hole out front and put myself in it. (laughs) 

66.   

ELMER TAKES MEDS

As a full time carer to his son and with another child now on the way, Elmer doesn’t have a choice.

67.   

ELMER + CAL WALK OUTSIDE + SIT ON STEP CHAT WITH LAPTOP

Outside, he shows me how he found the seller online.

[01:25:57] ELMER This is the hep C support group community. 

[01:26:21] CAL It's a Facebook group!

[01:26:22] ELMER yes. Which is very shocking.

CU OF COMMENTS UPSOT [01:34:00] in the group they call it dragon slaying, where we beat the virus. So you'll see people like this like hey, my family - my new dragon slayer arrived today, talking about the medication.

[01:12:51] CAL So how long after finding this group did you realise you could actually purchase the medications you needed.

[01:13:01] ELMER I found out probably about a month and a half of being. a part of the group…

CU ELMER [01:32:23] ELMER I kept seeing everyone mention Greg Jefferys and how much they was praising him, so eventually I just started clicking on the little blue letters to hyperlink me to him, and that's when on his profile I actually found links to his blog site, and started reading up on it and started watching the Buyer Club videos.  

[01:25:31] CAL What do you think of Greg Jefferys?

[01:25:33] ELMER He's an angel put on earth. There's no way around that. 

68.   

DRONE OF TASSIE

GREG WALKS INTO LAUNDRY TO GET MEDS

CU GREG PUTS PILLS IN ENVELOPE + WRITES NAME

Coming up….  

…The Australian behind a global network – defying big pharma….

THOUGHT TRACK /to think of people knowing that there's a cure there and that they could be well except for the fact they haven't got enough money to pay for it to me is obscene.

69.   

AD BREAK

70.   

10. GREG JEFFERIES – BUYERS CLUB IN TASMANIA 

71.   

As pharmaceutical drug prices skyrocket in the United States – others overseas are trying to help.  

72.   

DRIVING PTC TO GREG JEFFERIES

USA CALLI TASSIE 02.54.54 I never thought this story would lead me back home but I’ve just touched down in Hobart, Tasmania – which is around 15 thousand km form the United states – and it’s here one man is going to extraordinary lengths to take on big pharma by smuggling medicines to those in need.

73.   

CAL ARRIVES  + MEET AND GREET

MUSIC UPSOT

C/ Greg.

G/ Calli!

C/ Nice to meet you. Thanks for having me. 

74.   

O/S GREG AND CALLI WALK TO CUPBOARD + GREG GETS MEDS

Greg Jefferies used to be a historian and teacher- now he runs a buyers club selling hep c medication for cheap.

USA CALLI TASSIE [00:09:28] Greg Okay so I keep this little stash of medicines in here for people.

In the Laundry

in the laundry yep!

Like all good drug dealers.

[00:09:48] *laughs* I try and avoid that term *laughs*

75.   

GREG UNWRAPS MEDS + CHAT AT TABLE WITH MEDS

[00:10:46] So you've got Sofosbuvir, brand name Sovaldi and Daclatasvir, which is brand name Daklinza. …../ So if you're in Europe or America you can't actually buy these two drugs together because of patent issues. [00:11:17] Even though that is the best and cheapest treatment that exists.

Greg sources generic versions of hep c medication from India and sells them to buyers around the world for just $350 US dollars. Sometimes they’re even free.

He’s already received a cease and desist letter from the maker of the Sovaldi– a pharmaceutical company called Gilead.

[00:16:46] Cal is this illegal?

[00:25:01] Greg It's a grey area. Some countries it's no problem other countries it's definitely illegal. Canada it's illegal, USA again it's grey, but I certainly would never go to the USA for fear of being arrested or chucked into a jail there.

76.   

CAL AND GREG GO TO COMPUTER

GREG/ Yeah so this is the hub of my little network.

Greg tell me he receives 100 emails a day from people wanting his help and most of them are from the US.

CU OF COMPUTER COMMENTS [01:09:56] GREG - there's a lot of ah, there's a lot of new enquiries, here's one, I'm new here...

 [01:10:21] GREG.there's one 6 hours ago, I just got diagnosed.

THOUGHT TRACK/ to think of people knowing that there's a cure there and that they could be well except for the fact they haven't got enough money to pay for it to me is obscene.

77.   

FOR GREG’S CUSTOMERS - like Elmer Massey –it takes just 12 weeks to completely eradicate the disease.

78.   

GREG MAKES SKYPE CALL IN KITCHEN

[01.40.05] GREG TAKES SEAT ON COUCH WITH LAPTOP + SKYPE CALL RINGING

 UPSOT SKYPE CALL

[01:32:36] GREG - So how's the treatment going Elma?

[01:32:39] ELMA - It's going pretty good, believe I'm on day 19 or 20.

01:32:48]  GREG- You feeling better yet? You feeling any benefits form it yet?

[01:32:56] ELMA - Noticed that I am not as physically tired, but I’m still mentally drained I guess.

79.   

THOUGHT TRACK GREG

[00:23:09] Cal So why are you doing this?

[00:23:12] Greg/ Because I had Hep-C. Because I thought I was gonna die for Hep-C

02:14:32] GREG IN KITCHEN- I've been there I've felt the desperation. I've felt the hopelessness. I've felt the weight of something living inside you that is slowly killing you. I know how that feels. That's why I'm doing what I'm doing.

80.   

SKYPE UPSOT

I'm looking forward to hearing the news when you're cured. You’re looking pretty healthy ay.

[01:47:16] ELMA - Oh yeah. Hopefully I can slay this dragon.

I’m sure you will.

81.   

THOUGHT TRACK GREG

Medicine shouldn't be about making huge profits, medicine should be about giving people health.

82.   

SKYPE CALL

GREG/ See you mate, bye.

83.   

END SCENE

84.   

LANDON GETS BOX + WALKS TO LOUNGE ROOM 

MUSIC – FREEZE FRAME 2

Back in the United States, for diabetes sufferers like Landon, there’s no such thing as a one off cure.

He needs insulin every day for the rest of his life.

SO HE RELIES ON HAND OUTS FROM STRANGERS TO KEEP HIM ALIVE

[00:45:08] Landon with boxes.

Right here this is from my friend Elizabeth, she lives in New York and she sent me some insulin needles. A bunch of test strips for my meter, syringes, a lancing device with needles for it, some glucose tablets.

 [00:59:59] L: Here is my page, my Go Fund Me...it's gotten 557 likes and it's been shared 1.1 thousand times.

C: And how much has that raised?

L: So far it's at 38,822

L: Ah he donated five thousand dollars. That blew me away.  Like that was one of the emotional moments – it’s hard for me to imagine someone being that generous.

VO – 38,000 DOLLARS IS A LOT OF MONEY FOR LANDON, BUT HE’S NOW ACCUMULATED OVER $50,000 IN MEDICAL BILLS.

Upsot/ $1580… nice…

AND ISN’T SURE HOW HE’LL GET THROUGH TO HIS NEXT BIRTHDAY.

85.   

DAY 1 02.17.15 ANTROINETTE HANDS OUT BALLOONS

02.19.33 ANTROINETTE WRITING ON BALLOON

02.24.30 BALLOONS IN SKY THOUGHT TRACK

DAY 1 Hey girl how you doing?

For Antroinette – today, all she can do is mourn what would have been her daughter’s 25^th birthday.

86.   

ANTROINETTE IV IN SITU

[02:34:59] CAL – If things don’t change. What will be the consequences for Antavia's generation?

[02:35:08] ANTOINETTE - More and more people young adults are going to die. Because they can't afford their healthcare.

87.   

02.21.13 ANTROINETTE/ Happy 25^th birthday Antavia aka Tay Tay because that’s was my nickname for her. Mummy love and miss you.

88.   

DR VIKAS MASTER IV

DAY 4 [01:47:18] CAL: If you could sit with big pharma company directors, CEOS - what would be the question that you would want to put to them?

DAY 4 [01:47:29] VIKAS: How much is enough? That would be the question I would put to them. Have you no shame?….

89.   

ANTROINETTE BALLOON RELEASE

DAY 1 UPSOT 02.24.05 A/ OK One two three. Happy birthdayyyy.

DAY 1 02.23.18 ANTROINETTE / Rest in heaven, Tay Tay, Rest in heaven.