A good guide to the true costs of pharmaceutical production (probably a better-kept secret than stealth bomber ECM gear) is the costs of over-the counter medicines. They have to pass the same quality control standards, packaging and marketing costs, development expenses, and have the same risk for litigation if they don't work.

The only difference, of course, is that over-the-counter meds don't really do much for you, and you don't need a prescription to buy them.
In fact, you can choose not to buy them at all with a reasonable chance of surviving. Competition and the free market makes all the difference.

I would also be willing to bet that the true costs of medical treatment are probably not too much different than the fees charged by veterinarians. Sure, care from highly trained professionals is expensive. But not as expensive as we have been led to believe.