In Silverman's book Pills, Profits and Politics, we find an enlightening passage from testimony given by Dr. Dale Console, a former research director for a large pharmaceutical company, before a Senate committee. He said that: "With many of these products, it is clear while they are on the drawing board that they promise no utility. They promise sales . It is not a question of pursuing them because something may come of it... They are pursued simply because there is profit in it.. . Since so much depends on novelty, drugs change like women's hemlines, and rapid obsolescence is simply a sign of motion, not progress. With a little luck, proper timing, and a good promotion program, any bag of asafoetida with a unique chemical sidechain can be made to look like a wonder drug. The illusion may not last, but it frequently lasts long enough. By the time the doctor learns what the company knew in the beginning, the company has two new products to take the place of ...