I think the current medical research system is badly broken in several ways, and it's possible that a few billions spent on alternative approaches would bear a lot of fruit.
It might also not, but I'm very glad if someone tries.
I agree that medical research is broken in many ways. A steady stream of 'outsiders' set out to shake it up, from hedge fund billionaires that discover their kid has an incurable disease to google's calico grabbing some of the most renown industry leadership. I continue to pray for rain, but the advances from such initiatives have been incremental if any, rather than revolutionary. I would say the most impactful model to date has been the Howard Hughes Medical Institure, is focused on fundamental science discovery---where the bulk of the uncertainty lies in drug development.
I am glad to hear of MZ/PC generosity and focus on helping others. Some might take the same money and build the worlds ugliest sailboat, or endow a business school and it would be their right.
All that said, from a biotech start up biotech perspective, $3B a ton of cash. From a Pharma R&D budget, it's significant but it just ain't that much. How they will use it will matter if we are to remember this in 15 years (which is only 1-2 product life cycles for biopharma currently.)
Parapsychologists are constantly protesting that they are playing by all the standard scientific rules, and yet their results are being ignored – that they are unfairly being held to higher standards than everyone else. I’m willing to believe that. It just means that the standard statistical methods of science are so weak and flawed as to permit a field of study to sustain itself in the complete absence of any subject matter.
This general topic sometimes comes up on HN (most recently, yesterday†). Here's a good starting point:
I included a reliable source! Click my link to yesterday's HN story. It is an interview with John P.A. Ioannidis, "who is a professor at Stanford University and one of the most highly cited researchers in the world".
I think alternative approaches can bring some things, however, I'm not too sure of all these(Gates a few days back, Zuckerberg today) will encourage alternative approach. But given those guys history, let's hope so.
It might also not, but I'm very glad if someone tries.