Many years ago in a prior incarnation as a DC lawyer, I was told by a BigPharma executive (after he'd had one too many double martinis) that:
Curing disease is not a viable business model. We're in the business of treating disease. Once our research scientists find a drug that treats the disease / prolongs life, we bring it to market and move on to the next project in the pipeline.
Many years ago in a prior incarnation as a DC lawyer, I was told by a BigPharma executive (after he'd had one too many double martinis) that: