Speaking of “Horse paste”, what are the odds the new drug by Merck to treat Covid infections is merely a changed molecule of Ivermectin, a lower margin product? If so, the irony.
As it is, most pharmaceuticals were originally based on natural herbs, but these herbs are not patentable, thus do not have the profit potential that patented products have. A pharmaceutical company can gain a patent by simply by changing a molecule of the herb. It is not unusual for this new compound to be less effective, yet have more side effects than the original herb.
US pharmaceutical company care more about their bottom line than the health of their customers. After all, healthy customers are less profitable to the healthcare industry than healthy ones, right?
Shilling for pharmaceutical companies is on the same level as shilling for tobacco companies, especially when it comes to vaccinating children against a virus of low risk to them.