They [drug companies] are satisfied with the status quo because they ARE making money. The problem is that the FDA makes it near impossible for biotech startups

They [drug companies] are satisfied with the status quo because they ARE making money. The problem is that the FDA makes it near impossible for biotech startups to develop revolutionary and competitive oncology tech. Investors don't want to invest in early/mid stage biotech companies due to the extreme risk. Essentially these startups could have a viable product, yet get stonewalled by the FDA for years while waiting for trials and run out of money and dry up. In many cases it's not really the research that drives the cost, but rather the ability to charge the cost they do because people want to live. I understand that perspective is controversial and some will down-vote me for it. One instance was when my Dad had Metastatic Melanoma and was on DTIC therapy (Dacarbazine). It was nearly $20k per infusion. Are you kidding me, $20K/infusion!? They did 8-10 infusions. Unfathomably expensive. Oh and DTIC is one of the crappy old drugs from the 1970's. Anyone who believes that the cost to produce the drug is anywhere within several orders of a magnitude of what it costs patients is delusional. TL;DR The FDA and their non-startup friendly political processes are suppressing new players from emerging in the medical field who could create companies with revolutionary treatments. These treatments would bring a natural balance back to medical pricing through free market principles. Instead we're stuck with the current oligopoly where there's no major inventive to create cures which would cost billions in research while simultaneously ending hundreds of billions per year in recurring revenue on current semi-effective treatments. /rant