Traditional pharmaceutical R&D incentives prioritize "blockbuster" drugs (medications for conditions affecting large populations) due to the high probability of recouping substantial capital expenditures. However, recent legislative shifts in several jurisdictions have introduced tax credits and market exclusivity extensions for "orphan" drugs, designed to treat rare conditions. Proponents argue that these targeted subsidies correct a market failure where the societal value of a treatment exceeds its private profitability. Critics, however, contend that such incentives inadvertently encourage "salami-slicing" of common diseases into rare sub-types to secure regulatory benefits. While genomic sequencing has indeed enabled more precise categorization of diseases, the debate persists regarding whether the current incentive structure promotes genuine innovation or merely incentivizes firms to rebrand existing research to capture niche-market protections.