While I have no love for the incentive structure for drug companies, I agree that conspiracies about them deliberately prolonging sickness are nonsense. Imagin

While I have no love for the incentive structure for drug companies, I agree that conspiracies about them deliberately prolonging sickness are nonsense. Imagine the kudos that would go to the researchers and the company that cured the common cold! And a pill for that would sell well enough to offset the losses from palliative lozenges, decongestants, etc. And it's not like they are short of other pills to sell.