The episode took a turn, however, when they looked at Medieval versions of antibiotics -- a treatment for eye sties, I think they discussed -- they found the de

The episode took a turn, however, when they looked at Medieval versions of antibiotics -- a treatment for eye sties, I think they discussed -- they found the described treatment was wildly effective. The researchers they interviewed postulate resistance wanes when a treatment leaves the population for a while. The conclusion at the end was that it would be beneficial to have a big bevy of antibiotics and such, that we could rotate through as immunity came and went. In this ^ way, it would seem these pharmas, and the pharma market, needs to adopt a second perspective on antibiotics. They should look at a new drug not for revenues over the next 6 quarters, but over the next 6 decades. In that time frame the drug would hit, be shelved, hit, and repeat. Perhaps this would be one place that more permissive or advantageous patents would help, by encouraging growth in the antibiotic industry. That probably sounds unpopular given the general "no patents!" sentiment, but I there could be reason in it for at least some period of time.