Getchecked inc. is a leading medical devices manufacturer. a cosmetic surgeon, dr. matt breen is discussing the prices of getchecked's medical devices with his colleague, dr. ed walter. matt says, getchecked probably finds it difficult to make profits. the medical device market is highly crowded." ed replies, well, they do have quite a few patented products so the profits must be flowing in." meanwhile james radford, a medical technician, agrees that getchecked must be doing well. given that getchecked's products are widely used in the market, even an increase in prices would not affect sales or profits according to james.
which of the following, if true, would weaken matt's argument that getchecked's profits are most likely negligible due to competition?
a. lifestyle-related diseases like diabetes and hypertension are on the rise in this country.
b. getchecked recently hiked the per-unit commission paid to its salesmen.
c. product differentiation in terms of quality is common in this market because the buyers are very quality-conscious.
d. some firms in the market have started manufacturing medical devices that can be directly used by the final consumer.
e. doctors choose the brand of medical devices that should be used in the hospital.