There are some numbers bandied about that have been highly contested, and that keep going up, of about $1 billion. But that's based on a tiny proportion of drugs and on factoring in about 40% to 50% opportunity costs. So just the idea that at the top of the stock market bubble, the money could have been spent elsewhere....
Within the pharmaceutical industry, generally about twice as much is spent on marketing than on research and development. The whole rationality of research and development could be greatly improved if there was more of an incentive towards producing drugs that are real health benefits--