For a publication named "The Economist" that's quite the intellectually lazy answer. They say nothing of the existing conditions which make it possible for a co

For a publication named "The Economist" that's quite the intellectually lazy answer. They say nothing of the existing conditions which make it possible for a company to arbitrarily set drug prices (after all, few other businesses in the economy enjoy such a privilege). Furthermore, the answer is not even satisfying to those who may have a rudimentary grasp on economics. After all, if the reason is "because they can" why not raise the price of their drugs to $1 million per dose? This argumentum ad absurdum demonstrates that even with the lack of medicinal alternatives, there are certain economic factors which prevent astronomically high prices.