Legalized robbery is what's going on.
Basic services like utilities have oversight committees to make sure that costs of necessities remain affordable. People on Social Security and often low income are at the mercy of these multinational giants. Every few months the drug companies come out with another drug for heart conditions, cholesterol, blood pressure, gastrointestinal drugs, etc. They don't really claim these drugs are better, just newer. Now that the drug companies are facing competition from the alternative medical community, seeing their profit margins shrink, and their friend and ally, the FDA, under close scrutiny for reform, they will find new ways to maximize profits.