You are right, the costs of putting new drugs in the market are extremely high, and maybe 1 in 10 make the cut. Very few people would be willing to invest that much money on such a return. Investing in a pharmaceutical company would give an investor a financial return, and investing in an efficient charity will give a philanthropist the best return for lives saved.
The article may imply some limits to efficient philanthropy. Improving the process of drug research would save (produce?) a huge number of QUALYS, but there’s no way to tell in advance what the cost is likely to be or what the odds of success are.
You are right, the costs of putting new drugs in the market are extremely high, and maybe 1 in 10 make the cut. Very few people would be willing to invest that much money on such a return. Investing in a pharmaceutical company would give an investor a financial return, and investing in an efficient charity will give a philanthropist the best return for lives saved.
The article may imply some limits to efficient philanthropy. Improving the process of drug research would save (produce?) a huge number of QUALYS, but there’s no way to tell in advance what the cost is likely to be or what the odds of success are.