re: Would you save a dying kid?

This is a touchy subject, but from what I gathered from this particular case linked in the article, it wasn't really about a drug being available for the right amount of $ (or if insurance covered it). They were petitioning for "compassionate use" of a drug on a child not covered in the FDA adult clinical trials, and the small biomedical company which is running the trials no longer releases its meds in compassionate use cases because it is focussing its resources on trying to get the drug approved.

FDA also seemed to cave to the social media pressure, and gave immediate approval to the company for a new clinical trial of the drug on kids, so he could get the drug. The company won some by the FDA cutting the red tape to allow them to do this.

As to the ethical question, yes, if it were my kid I would do anything possible to try and get him what was needed to save HIS life, and screw everyone else. But in the larger picture, ethically, I don't think it's fair that one person gets a treatment if it means possible delays for everyone else.

I can kind of understand the drug companies' stances on not releasing experimental meds, as it might screw up their chances for getting something approved by the FDA (although I'm not sure how bad results of usage outside a clinical trial might affect that process). It also means they have to use more of their possibly limited supply of a drug which might delay the release of the drug to the public.