Author and his spouse both work for pharma companies.
Fear and hatred of experts is how we got into this mess. If pharmaceutical executives aren't all cartoon mustache-twirling villains (and they're not: many actually want to help sick people), then maybe not every employee is either?
(But seriously - corruption is an equal opportunity employer, assuming any industry is exempt is dangerous. Take Pfizer - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfizer#Legal_issues)
Of course it is. Anecdotally however, in my career I've spent a lot of time among people like the author of the article. I've yet to meet a single one who did not present as genuine in their desire to help people. Might it be the case that they are aware of market dynamics within the process? Yes of course. But tropes like Big Pharma intentionally not providing cures or only looking at treatments that require constant application are bollocks. At least to the extent of my hands on experience in the industry.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Flier
He's not some lefty opposed to RFK out of spite for the Trump admin either.. he's written about how ineffective DEI is, against 'cancel culture', and he's writing this essay in Quillete, which is a very right-of-center publication. You'll find that the vast majority of people involved in research, medicine, or public health oppose RFK.