The core problem is structural: because diseases are defined by symptoms and organs rather than mechanisms, pharma can only create symptom-relief drugs with very low precision — the same concept that produces staggering NNT values. As mechanistic understanding fails, so does drug development.
Facing dwindling innovation, some companies increasingly rely on legal grey zones or outright fraud to maintain profits. Major firms have repeatedly paid massive settlements for misconduct. And academic research, which could act as a counterweight, suffers from its own systemic incentives and innovation bottlenecks.
This episode reveals why Big Pharma is the most fragile part of medicine’s crisis — and why the industry, in its current form, cannot survive.
More information at https://haraldschmidt.online
Contact: harald.schmidt@mac.com
