Private industry generously rewards innovation The drug industry is generally happier to develop new drugs against targets that are well established and for co

Private industry generously rewards innovation The drug industry is generally happier to develop new drugs against targets that are well established and for conditions that physicians are trained to prescribe for. That's why we are now at fifth-generation statins, and also why "first-in-class" compounds are so rare. For something really new you need to find the target, devise an assay and make a case for use. It's a billion-dollar gamble. Statins on the other hand, they are well established.