Layout, OVM, you both need lessons on how the system works.
The billions that are spent are recouped without a doubt - don't buy into the propaganda. There is a cost analysis done when the compound is discovered to "cure" something and then after the phase I studies are done at almost all the companies. A lot of drugs never make it out of Phase I and if they do, a lot more are killed in Phase II and III studies.
Here in the US more money is spent on marketing form the top ten companies than on drug R&D. Many of the drugs that don't make it through Phase II and III can end up at other companies to be developed and marketed, one company just specialists in that - buying rights to patents and doing the development phases for the New Drug Application.
Canada, the UK, the EU and Japan are the leading countries where they have equal or better requirements for drug approval than the US. Japan is a PIA when it comes to the quality of the study where we don't always care and so is the EU, they have ripped into one company about their applications and lack of efficacy support. But on the other hand they also approve a lot more drugs than we do here because the FDA and the drug companies "work together" on key issues to get through the process and the independence is lost with our FDA. Also don't forget, we also fast track Drug Applications to get the drug on the market which we shouldn't do as much as we should not allow advertising of drugs.
