The implication here is that reforming prices would destroy innovation in pharmaceuticals, but marketing costs dwarf R&D expenditures. These companies also bene

The implication here is that reforming prices would destroy innovation in pharmaceuticals, but marketing costs dwarf R&D expenditures. These companies also benefit from huge, decades long investments by government in basic research. Edit: It’s also worth pointing out that it’s not the scientists and researchers who are raking it in — it’s executive managers. It’s not about punishing value creators, it’s about stemming value extraction, aka rent-seeking, aka what makes markets not free according to Adam Smith.