Adjusted to inflation, drug company R&D spend is up 10x over ~40 years. (Source: Congressional Budget Office)

Mark this down as an interesting (and perhaps questionable) business opportunity: Drug companies will pay you $10k-$20k+ per person to recruit patients for their clinical trials.

Background: It may surprise you to learn that 70%+ of clinical drug trials aren’t done by drug companies or academic labs, but by private clinicians who recruit patients, administer doses, track data, and write papers on the results.