[ImprobableTruth]

>We can also incentivize in other ways, like grants and contests

You would need to quadruple healthcare r&d spending to make up for private spending (in 2018 it was 130 billion private to 43 billion public r&d spending). Not impossible, but a tough sell.

[jjoonathan]

How much of that private spending went to $600k/yr lawyers rather than $60k/yr scientists?

How much of the public spending went to $60k/yr scientists rather than $600k/yr lawyers?

[ImprobableTruth]

Afaik R&D spending really only means actual science - at least that's how R&D spending is defined for tax break purposes, so I'd imagine the stats are using the same definition.

[jjoonathan]

Maaaaybe, but I've seen what a few companies count as R&D and I wouldn't be so sure. I work in a pretty traditional SwE role, not at a pharma company (I bailed on Chem long ago when I saw the salaries). By my reckoning none of what we do should be categorized as R&D, but for tax purposes almost all of it is. Both SwE hours and lawyer hours (we have a resident lawyer). It's pretty obvious when the accountants go fishing for excuses and they always seem to be able to find them.

Whenever I hear about a pharma company getting held accountable, it's for even more egregious violations (put a token lab in every building now it's all R&D wheee).

Point is: I have my doubts.