...everyone is on the same page and refuses to deviate for fear of losing funding.I take it you're not involved in science as a profession, because this assertion is a gross exaggeration of the situation in science and, while you might find a few disgruntled scientists who claim this, it is not reality.
If someone at NIH found that say .... smoking is good for you, do you think he would have a career?
That's why everything is now caused by a virus or genetics. That's what sells.