Edward, I agree that commercializing a new drug can cost billions of $ and that the inventing company may have only a few years of patent to claw that $ back. Plus not every effort is successful, meaning that these companies absolutely need to rake in the $$$ whenever they get a winner. So yes, they are going to charge as much as they possibly can. It is a truism that there would be no research into cures for cancer or heart disease or ??? unless the companies doing it are willing to keep investing $$$$$$$$ in the expectations of an equally vast profit when it comes to fruition.