Nanomedicines

Nanomedicines
Classification	Rare Commodity
Type	Medicines
Galactic Average Price	9,859 CR
Rare allocation	40 t
Location	Elion Dock, Kuma

These sophisticated pharmaceuticals use nanoscale materials to target disease far more efficiently than conventional medicine. The product of an ambitious R&D programme, they are developed by the technologically advanced community Utopia and exclusively distributed by Vandermeer Corporation in the Kuma system.

— In-Game Description

Nanomedicines, or nanomeds for short, are a Rare Commodity available at Elion Dock in the Kuma system. Nanomedicines are sophisticated pharmaceuticals that use nanoscale materials to repair cell damage on a molecular level. They can heal any injury in a fraction of the normal time, and can potentially cure almost any disease and infection. Furthermore, regular use of nanomeds affects cellular senescence, drastically slowing the ageing process. In theory, nanomed users will live between 30 and 50 years longer, and will enjoy near-perfect health during those extra decades.

History

Vitadyne nanomeds

On December 6, 3304, pharmaceutical company Vitadyne Labs announced that it had developed an innovative new form of nanomedicine, and invited medical officials and the Interstellar Health Organisation to review their findings before bringing the product to market. The IHO confirmed on December 14 that not only were Vitadyne nanomeds much more sophisticated than other available products, but all of Vitadyne's data regarding their extensive health benefits held up; the IHO began conducting clinical trials with patients. Healthcare analyst Dr. Himari Grey commented that the new nanomeds were a work of genius on the part of Professor Katrien Rook, claiming that they could be the most exciting development in medicine for decades to come. On December 22, the IHO reported that the clinical trials had demonstrated the nanomeds were extremely effective, even on patients for whom conventional treatments were unsuitable.

Legal dispute

Vitadyne Labs nanomeds' smooth path to approval was interrupted on December 28, when Simguru Pranav Antal issued a statement claiming that the nanomeds had been developed by Utopia and used exclusively among its members for decades, and Vitadyne Labs had likely stolen a shipment of them from a medical transport several months prior and were pawning them off as their own product. Professor Katrien Rook and Vitadyne Labs did not comment on the accusations, but the IHO pledged to investigate.

Professor Rook revealed on January 3, 3305 that Vitadyne Labs had not, in fact, invented its new nanomedicine, but had not committed a crime either. Rook stated that a group of independent pilots had found the crash site of the missing Utopian medical transport, and Vitadyne Labs had purchased the Utopian nanomeds as legitimate salvage and then used them to create a derivative type of nanomed. While Rook offered to return the original salvaged nanomeds to Utopia with Vitadyne's apologies, she insisted that Vitadyne had the right to continue to produce the derivatives. Pranav Antal quickly responded by demanding the derivatives be handed over to Utopia as well, and reasserted that Utopian technology could not be used by anyone outside the organization. The IHO announced that it would review the case and render a decision on the nanomeds' ownership.

On January 12, Dr. Himari Grey discussed the legal dispute over the nanomeds with News Feed Vox Galactica, noting that it had raised an ethical dilemma. A number of medical experts had stepped forward to argue that the health benefits of these revolutionary new nanomeds meant that Utopia's claims of ownership appeared selfish and should be disregarded for the public good. At the same time, Vitadyne Labs had already received millions of credits from investors who expected billions in returns, and it was possible that demand could push the nanomeds' price excessively high and prevent all but the wealthiest individuals from being able to purchase them.

The IHO rendered its decision on January 17, siding with Vitadyne Labs and approving their nanomeds a legal medical product with the caveat that Vitadyne had to distribute their nanomeds through an established pharmaceutical company to ensure that strict healthcare protocols would be applied at every stage. The IHO justified its ruling by explaining that while Utopia did indeed develop the original nanomeds, Vitadyne obtained them as legal salvage and any derivatives were Vitadyne's intellectual property. Professor Katrien Rook was satisfied with the ruling and said she would comply with the IHO's conditions.

Mass production

Following the IHO's ruling, Professor Rook announced a campaign to construct a new pharmaceutical facility to produce the Vitadyne nanomeds on January 24. Pharmaceutical powerhouses Neomedical Industries and Vandermeer Corporation launched competing public campaigns to collect materials for the construction of nanomed manufacturing plants to bid for distribution license. The campaigns concluded on January 31, but Professor Rook did not confirm which company had secured the contract.

On January 26, Simguru Pranav Antal condemned the IHO's ruling and doubled down on categorizing Vitadyne's actions as theft. Members of the galaxy's medical community also expressed reservations about the ruling, since denying Utopia's ownership of the nanomeds in this case has likely guaranteed that Utopia will not cooperate or offer to share other technologies in the future.

Distribution

On June 9, 3306, after over a year of preparation to ensure stringent quality controls, nanomedicines were finally introduced to the public market. Professor Rook revealed that Vandermeer Corporation had been given the contract to produce nanomeds, which would be exclusively distributed at Elion Dock in the Kuma system. Notably, around November 2, 3306, Vitadyne nanomeds were used with success in the treatment of Imperator Hadrian Augustus Duval of Nova Imperium, who had been gravely wounded in an assassination attempt by the Neo-Marlinist Liberation Army days before.

Notes

• Nanomedicines were added as a Rare Commodity with the Fleet Carriers Update on June 9, 2020.