Development of the Salk vaccine was paid for by the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (now known as the March of Dimes) a non-profit research organization that relies on donations thus technically there were no "investors" that needed to see a financial return on their investment. Depending on which website you choose to believe the lack of proprietary patenting was either due to humanitarian reasons or because under patent laws of the time the vaccine would not have qualified.
Unfortunately pharmaceuticals have become a multi-billion dollar business and outside of non-profits like March of Dimes, St. Judes and others there is a huge investment dollar to be repaid.
PS from different articles I've read American's consume more prescription medications per capita than any other developed nation.
Absolutely, we are a luxury medicated society. There's every birth control pill under the sun, Viagra and anti-depressants galore. I don't see how a world that makes such wonderful thing could be bad.
Look at these pills, isn't it neat. Wouldn't you think my pharmacy's complete.
Wouldn't you think we're the country, the place that has everything.
Look in a store, the treasures untold.
How many drugs can one cabinet hold?
Looking around here you'd think, "Sure we've got everything."
I've red ones and blue ones aplenty.
Soft ones and hard ones galore.
Perscription bottles, I've got 20.
But who cares, no big deal, I WANT MOOOOOOOORRRREEE!!
I want to take what the people take, I want to feel, almost nothing.
Walking around with those, what do you call em? oh Scripts!
Without our drugs we don't get too far, meds are required for jumping dancing!
