All these words don't carry meaning without proper data. Unless we know how much they've spent, how much they need to recoup & grow, these claims are vague.
> stealing the fruits of other people's labor
Without studying the merits/demerits of the patent, this is a hyperbole. I'm saying, maybe your statements are true, maybe not. But without backing up with facts, they are merely sentimental.
Here's an interesting case of drug pricing. Albendazole is a fairly common/old drug. It's a broad spectrum anthelmintic that retails for a few cents in most parts of the world. Recenty, U.S. price of albendazole has increased by >4000% to over US$100 per 200-mg tablet[1].
Another example: Novartis, the company that makes the leukemia drug Gleevec, keeps raising the drug’s price, even though the drug has already delivered billions in profit to the company. [...] Novartis is just keeping up with other companies as they charge more and more for their drugs. They know we can’t say no.[2]
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albendazole#Controversy
[2] http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/15/opinion/why-drugs-cost-so-...