When Marketability Overshadows Need
In healthcare, where lives hang in the balance, investment decisions carry profound consequences. Too often, however, money flows toward innovations with the greatest commercial promise rather than those that address the most urgent needs. Joe Kiani, Masimo and Willow Laboratories founder, has warned that prioritizing profits over patients undermines the purpose of medical innovation. When marketability overshadows need, the result is a system that favors affluent populations while neglecting the vulnerable.
The consequences are visible in the uneven distribution of research dollars. Diseases affecting wealthier nations or demographics with higher purchasing power attract more investment, while conditions that disproportionately impact low-income populations languish. This imbalance skews the innovation pipeline, leaving lifesaving solutions underdeveloped simply because they lack lucrative markets.
Profits Before Patients
The pursuit of profit drives many decisions in healthcare, from drug development to device design. Pharmaceutical companies, for instance, are more likely to fund treatments for chronic conditions that guarantee long-term revenue than cures that would eliminate the need for ongoing medication. Devices are often optimized for affluent hospitals, sidelining community clinics where the burden of disease is highest.
This profit-first mentality leaves gaps in prevention and public health. Interventions that save lives but generate little return, such as low-cost vaccines or sanitation systems, struggle to attract investment. As a result, the global burden of preventable illness remains staggering, and the people most in need are left without effective solutions.
The Case of Neglected Diseases
Neglected tropical diseases illustrate how marketability distorts priorities. These conditions affect more than a billion people worldwide, yet they receive a fraction of global research and development funding. Because those most affected often live in low-income regions, companies see limited profit potential. The disparity highlights the disconnect between public health needs and private investment.
Even in wealthy nations, disparities emerge. Rare diseases that lack large patient populations often face the same problem, with families left scrambling for clinical trials and experimental treatments. In both cases, need is high, but marketability is low, perpetuating inequity in access to innovation.
When Technology Favors the Few
Medical devices and digital health tools are increasingly designed with wealthier patients in mind. Sophisticated wearables and subscription-based platforms cater to those who can afford them, while communities with limited resources are left behind. This trend not only widens disparities in access to technology but also reinforces patterns of exclusion in healthcare innovation.
Joe Kiani, Masimo founder, is known for advancing technology that delivers timely, usable information to patients and providers alike. That focus highlights a broader truth: innovation must be designed for accessibility as well as sophistication. When tools reach only those with means, the patients facing the heaviest burdens are often left without adequate support. The inequity is clear, with progress bypassing those who stand to benefit most.
The Role of Public Funding
Public investment has historically bridged gaps left by the private sector. Government funding for vaccines, treatments, and basic science has produced breakthroughs that profit-driven models would have ignored. The development of antiretroviral therapy for HIV and vaccines for polio and COVID-19 demonstrates the power of public investment to reshape health outcomes.
Still, public funding alone cannot keep pace with global needs. Policymakers must ensure that investments are sufficient and directed toward equity. Expanding grant programs, incentivizing research in underserved areas, and holding companies accountable for serving broader populations are necessary steps to align innovation with the public good.
Accountability in the Private Sector
Private companies also have a responsibility to ensure that innovation serves more than just profitable markets. Ethical investment frameworks can help shift priorities, requiring companies to consider impact alongside profit. Shareholders and consumers alike are increasingly demanding that corporations demonstrate social responsibility in their operations.
Transparency is essential. Companies should disclose not only their financial performance but also the populations their innovations serve. Accountability mechanisms, whether through regulation, independent audits, or consumer pressure, can help push the private sector toward more equitable practices.
Global Health Implications
Inequities in investment choices are not confined to national borders. When profitable markets dictate research priorities, diseases that devastate low-income countries are left underfunded. It has global consequences, as untreated outbreaks can spread across regions and continents, ultimately threatening everyone. The COVID-19 pandemic offered a stark reminder of how quickly health crises in one part of the world can ripple outward when early investments are insufficient.
Equity in healthcare innovation is not just a moral imperative but also a practical one. Investing in neglected areas strengthens global health security by reducing vulnerabilities. A system driven solely by marketability leaves gaps that put all populations at risk, making equity a matter of both justice and safety. Closing these gaps requires intentional collaboration between governments, private industry, and global health organizations to ensure that resources flow where they are most needed.
Shifting the Culture of Innovation
Changing the trajectory of healthcare investment requires a cultural shift. Investors, innovators, and policymakers must embrace a vision of healthcare that values human lives as much as financial returns. It means rethinking incentive structures, redefining success metrics, and fostering partnerships that prioritize need.
Joe Kiani, Masimo founder, has demonstrated through his work in patient safety that leadership rooted in compassion can reshape industries. By modeling investments that prioritize clinical impact, leaders can inspire others to follow. A culture of innovation that puts people first will not only address inequities but also restore trust in healthcare systems.
Balancing Innovation With Human Need
The future of healthcare innovation depends on striking the right balance between profitability and responsibility. Financial incentives will always shape decisions, but progress cannot be judged by revenue alone. Real impact comes when investments are directed toward the areas of greatest need, ensuring that lifesaving solutions reach those who face the highest risks.
Equity emerges when healthier lives and stronger communities are regarded as the ultimate measure of success. By aligning policy, leadership, and investment with this standard, healthcare can move closer to its true purpose, delivering innovation that protects people first and treats financial return as a reflection of meaningful progress rather than its defining goal.
