A lot the research that goes into truly innovative treatments is already funded by the government. See what NIH pays for. The big companies look for stuff that

A lot the research that goes into truly innovative treatments is already funded by the government. See what NIH pays for. The big companies look for stuff that they can market and sell fast (eg. Viagra in new rainbow color). In a lot of the pharmaceutical companies spent more on marketing than research. Especially for things that are not profitable (eg. flu shots, or malaria vaccine).