The question was simply to stimulate a more holistic view of the example at hand: that Pfizer did this on their own and essentially didn't need/get any financia

The question was simply to stimulate a more holistic view of the example at hand: that Pfizer did this on their own and essentially didn't need/get any financial help. Sure, Pfizer didn't receive direct subsidy in the short term related to COVID R&D and is taking on risk. But let's look at this more holistically. Pfizer and pharma benefit a reasonable amount from public research. Pfizer has received their fair share of governmental funding in the form of products, services, and research: https://www.usaspending.gov/search/85a918fa6adf5152dbac723d22916b34 https://www.usaspending.gov/search/85a918fa6adf5152dbac723d2... They've also been subsidized by people with illness over the years that isn't related to COVID (directly or through their insurance provider pools). It's in other cases the previously sick that have padded Pfizer's profit margins enough to enable them to accumulate enough capital they could take on this sort of risky R&D. Theres also the costs of enabling laws and defending their IP rights from external pressures the US pushes. It may not be direct subsidy but there are plenty of indirect subsidies that enabled Pfizer to do this. Let's stop pretending these businesses pull themselves up by their bootstraps to success and take on all the risk: they don't. They very often take low risk returns and transfer to high risk and use subsidized activity (e.g. federally funded research) to their advantage. Anything high risk like pharma is prone to failure and needs assistance. Should we continue assistance? Absolutely, I think so, it's good for everyone. As one parent mentioned, it is good to see these businesses reinvest in further R&D that lead to new discoveries in therapy and treatment as opposed to simply hoarding capital. Apparently the thought of the narratives that Pfizer didn't pull themselves up by their bootstraps financially makes some people cranky. Everyone needs assistance (especially in high risk arenas), let's not pretend that assistance doesn't exist simply because its indirect, time delayed, and being shifted around.