[jmward01]

I don't grant the assumption that innovation is helped with the current US system. It is entirely possible that it is actually hurt considerably compared to other systems. There is a massive incentive to prolong health problems if you make money on treating them. Even without people being evil, when the major learning signal (money) points constantly towards 'prolong the problem' it isn't hard to imagine that the system that evolves from it is actively worse than nearly any other system with a good loss function like 'health' or even just 'fame and notoriety for the scientists involved'

[jack_pp]

I want to agree with you but have other systems provided better drugs / research than the US? Afaik SOTA in anything medical is basically US researched but .. I haven't actually looked into it that much.

[skissane]

China is making huge investments in biotech, and its regulators tend to be more permissive than those in many Western countries. It would not surprise me if sooner or later, China begins to take the lead in medical innovation and the US is reduced to playing catch-up.

Of course, more permissive regulation means increased safety risks for consumers and clinical trial participants-but if you don’t live in China, that’s a price you won’t personally pay.