Tax base funds the work, donor base collects the rewards.
Academia gets to keep rewards; universities patent discoveries and license the technology to industry. This made $$$ for Stanford and UC (billions of dollars).
I am sympathetic to the idea that regular joe of US doesn't get enough benefit for their tax payments but actually I think if you look at all the benefits americans get indirectly from living here, it's hard to say for certain that individuals aren't recompensed properly. And, I suppose, if they wanted, many people can buy stock in pharma and enjoy the profits themselves.
You think academia know how to optimize structure? Bulk manufacturer? Organize clinical trials across the globe? Check all the regulatory boxes?
Yes? That is literally where the standards for these things are developed, and constantly tested? For example: the techniques for optimizing structure? Developed in academia. Bulk manufacturing? Reliant on tons of science, engineering, and mathematics, that was developed in academia.
Regulatory capture etc is quite real and toxic. But this eat the rich stuff is getting a little out of hand.
Answering with the "tax payer" does not now imply that capitalism is evil, and corporations are awful, etc. etc. Rather, it should sober businesses, and remind them that they are part of a system. They need consumers, and consumers need them. Hurting consumers by maintaining unfair prices ultimately comes full circle, and will hurt them, in the long run, even if they profit in the short term.
Of course, our businesses tend not to think about the long term too much, but again, this has nothing to do with "eating the rich", but everything to do with pondering human hubris.