Description

Most people assume the answer is simple: greed. But the real story is far more complicated — and far more surprising.

In this episode, I sit down with Sam Kazer, PhD, a scientist who has worked across academia, global health, and the pharmaceutical industry, to break down what it actually takes to turn an idea into a real medicine. We talk about why drug development takes 10+ years, why clinical trials are so expensive, and why most drug ideas fail long before they ever reach patients.

We also explore:

1. Why “Big Pharma” isn’t a single villain
2. How academic research and industry depend on each other
3. Why biologic drugs cost more than small-molecule drugs
4. How public funding quietly enables many of the medicines we rely on
5. What people misunderstand most about drug pricing and regulation

This isn’t a defense of the pharmaceutical industry — it’s an explanation of the system we all rely on, and why simple answers don’t capture the full picture.