Here is a simple question for you. Why do we see no breakthrough drugs from South Africa? Why so few miracle drugs from the likes of Russia and China and India? All of Europe produces few blockbuster new drugs to cure or control diseases that ravage people.

Why is this?

All these countries produce literature from their own people.  Indians churn out movies, the French drama.  The Chinese make movies. Yet few new drugs come from these countries.

So much research for new drugs takes place at universities and hospitals.  These countries all boast fine universities and hospitals.  But they cannot boast they produce much in the way of exciting new drugs.

Related to the shortage of drugs from elsewhere is the shortage of achievement.  Since 1970 more Nobel Prizes for work in medicine and physiology have gone to researchers in America than in all other countries combined.  Yes, all other countries combined.

What is going on here?  Is there a drug-making gene that exists among researchers in America?  Why would one country shine so and succeed beyond all the other countries of the world combined?  Is America so different from other countries that this difference produces miracle drugs?

Yes, America is that different.

The difference is that we have traditionally allowed drug companies to make a lot of profit.  And the drug companies have used the profits to pay for research and development of new drugs.