>To keep with your example. Someone comes up with a cure for cancer (or AIDS or the common cold even) and says "I think fair market price on this is 10,000$ a dose." How many people will be shut out of that cure? Most, I'm thinking, because they can't pay for it and insurance sure isn't going to cover it.
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>So, if no one can afford to buy it, don't you think the price will have to come down to a more reasonable level? If there is lots of supply and no demand because of the high price, it seems to me that this would be the case.

You'd think there would be, wouldn't you? But it doesn't seem to work like that. As an example, my husband uses a nasal spray for allergies, and seeing that we live in the allergy capitol of the country, a month's supply (without insurance) was about 195$. They finally came out with a generic form. It's only 100$ a month. You can probably get this cheaper where you live, either one. They charge that much, because they can. There will always be a demand - if they're not selling enough, they'll advertise it and get people to ask for it at the price the pharmas are asking.