alt Hacker NewsOutside of the occasional spike from a real blockbuster, pharmaceutical companies are not particularly profitable. Without those temporary (patent-protected) “windfall” profits, the business model doesn’t work.
Outside of the occasional spike from a real blockbuster, pharmaceutical companies are not particularly profitable. Without those temporary (patent-protected) “windfall” profits, the business model doesn’t work.
To whatever extent they couldn't afford to reduce prices while staying in business, they also couldn't afford to spend those alleged billions of dollars on basic R&D or stock buybacks.