Heart disease still tops the charts as the number-one killer in most developed countries, while cancer deaths occupy the number-two position. But a close look at the numbers shows that cancer has had more new drugs approved in recent years than has heart disease, with even more novel therapies moving through the R&D pipeline. Some experts point to the vastly larger funding coffers cancer researchers have at their disposal, but other, less tangible public forces are also likely driving some of the disparities.