Drugs that get advertised are ones still on patent that have high profit margins. Opioids and amphetamines are cheap to manufacture, long off-patent, and availa

Drugs that get advertised are ones still on patent that have high profit margins. Opioids and amphetamines are cheap to manufacture, long off-patent, and available as generics. They're not the drugs that get advertised on TV. The pharma business used to have spectacular margins, 20 years ago. The ROI of new chemical entities has been falling since the 1990s. Pharma companies have been shedding personnel and facilities and merging for a long time to keep stock prices up. They're having a hell of a time coming up with new patented products that are broadly useful and better than generics, so direct-to-consumer advertising is one of the few avenues left to boost revenue. It's funny how corporate arrogance and desperation can look so similar.