With Big Money Comes Big Questions for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

When a breakthrough cystic fibrosis drug with a sticker price of more than $300,000 per year hit the market two years ago, the cost raised familiar questions about the sustainability of ever-climbing drug prices in the United States.

Now, a private foundation, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, that invested in the drug early has sold it royalty rights for $3.3 billion, and new questions are surfacing about the ethical implications of nonprofits acting as venture capitalists.