Things like this have been going on for a long time. US grants funding to universities for research then the professors and undergrads, often patents in tow, working on successful projects "spin off" and either go work for pharma or start a company that gets bought by pharma. It's so common nobody even bats an eye. Just as a final spit in the eye of the taxpayer, they charge you to see publications on these grants. Certain fields are just cover for black projects and there may be an argument to be made for national security work but applied life sciences isn't one of those fields.