Dr. David Fajgenbaum

But they can't typically go after a lot of different diseases because they want to really focus on maximizing profit for the few they can.

So it's not that they're avoiding diseases.

And again, this is

partly my opinion, but I'm saying it as someone who lost my mom to cancer and who personally has battled these horrible diseases.

If I was seeing things like people hiding cures, I'd be the first person to talk about it.

I don't see that.

What I see is that drug companies focus their drugs on whatever diseases they can make the most money on in those eight to 12 years, because they're businesses.

And the moment that drug goes off pad, all research stops.

So what that means is that

We've got 4,000 drugs.

Well, 80% of them are already generic.

So there's no drug company that has any interest at all in selling more doses of that drug because there's 10 manufacturers and they all sell them for a penny a pill.

And so the problem is that, in my opinion, the problem is not that drug companies are not pursuing these additional uses.

The problem is that if I discover that

that ruxolitinib can be useful for a new condition after ruxolitinib goes off patent, like I got to figure out a way to drive forward the science for it.

I got to figure out a way to get, whether it's the government or philanthropists or individuals to donate to do the research because the drug company is like, hey,

I made it like a few years ago, but like 10 other people are making it right now.

And I don't make any money off of that drug.

I'm onto another drug now.

And so I think that that's a problem in our system is that 80% of our drugs are not profitable to find new uses for them.