Yeah, it doesn't work that way. Basically what you're saying is that a Pharma company is going to invest in research that may not pay off for decades, if ever.

Yeah, it doesn't work that way. Basically what you're saying is that a Pharma company is going to invest in research that may not pay off for decades, if ever. GLP-1 drugs are based on research that started in the early 80s. mRNA vaccines are based on research from the late 80s and 90s. Very few companies are interested in funding highly-speculative work where they won't see a return for 30 or 40 years - and probably will never see a return at all. It also creates a really serious problem - if companies are funding the basic science, then they are going to want to own what they're funding. But collaboration and shared knowledge is exactly what pushes science forward.