ID9606/2a-c [Dispositive eines Virus]

(english information below)

Ebola, Corona, Monkeypox. Mit den Epidemien und Pandemien der letzten Jahre haben sich auch die Geschäfte mit der medizinischen Biotechnologie immer schneller entwickelt. +c5 ID9606/2a-c. Dispositive eines Virus geht der Frage nach, wie biotechnologische Erfindungen als Bereiche kapitalistischer Investitionen politische Entscheidungen im Gesundheitswesen beeinflussen können. -c5 Ausgangspunkt ist die Rationierung der neueren Hepatitis-C-Medikamente in der Schweiz. Während ein monopolistischer Pharmakonzern mit diesen Medikamenten lange Zeit konkurrenzlos Geschäfte machen konnte, blieb das "Wunder der Heilung" für die meisten Betroffenen unerreichbar.

Subjekt des pharmabiografischen Texts sind allerdings nicht nur die mit Hepatitis C infizierte Autorin, sondern mehr und mehr das Virus selbst und die komplexen Subjektivierungen in den Zwischenräumen von sozialen Systemen und Biotechnologien. +c5 Im Zusammenspiel verschiedener Textgattungen entsteht ein auto-theoretischer Text, der sein autos, das Selbst seiner Theorie, in die sozialen Beziehungen des Gesundheitssystems und in die mehr-als-menschliche Sphäre der Viren verlagert. -c5

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(english)

Due to the rapid developments in the field of medical biotechnology, the transactions that are connected with the body have developed into the most important areas of the market economy in the last few decades. This has lead to massive changes in political, economic and social structures. But created also new power relations between the institutions and social classes involved. With the methods of autotheory and artistic research my forthcoming book ID9606/2a-c [Dispositive eines Virus] addresses the question of how biotechnological inventions, as areas of capitalist investment, can affect political decisions in health care. The reference point of my investigation is the rationing of the new Hepatitis C drugs in Switzerland. I am assuming a personal experience. My former infection with the hepatitis C virus.

For a long time, the infection was considered impossible to treat or only treatable to a very limited extent. This fact only changed when Pharmasset Inc. developed PSI-7977, which was rought to market by Gilead Siences a few years later. The possibility of an almost one hundred percent chance of recovery has been celebrated as a historic event in science and medicine. But while Gilead was able to run an unrivalled business with the new hepatitis C drugs for a long time, the „miracle of healing“ remained out of reach for most of those affected. The therapies were simply too expensive and were immediately rationed by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health.

For examining the given situation, I chose an interplay of various text genres (dialogue, advertising, diary / hypomnemata, scientific text, essay and documentation). This combination not only encircles the subject from multiple perspectives but also crosses various disciplines in terms of content. By bringing together different forms of knowledge and genres, readers are offered different views on the same subject.

The manuscript (2019) of the book was awarded with the Excellence Scholarship for Outstanding Academic Records in Transdiciplinary Studies from Zurich University of Arts.