It's the reason that Leronlimab was slow walked at every turn during the early pandemic. Multiple Dr. Patterson by 1,000 research scientists at NIH, WHO, FDA, Big Pharma, Universities, and clinics who all wanted their research to stop the Pandemic, make them a rock star, get them the Nobel Prize, etc. They would be willing to block every possible competitor to figure out how they personally will be the one to be the hero.
These are once in a lifetime opportunities and otherwise a researcher lives a life in obscurity.