The chapters in this book are written by authors with diverse experiences and perspectives. They come from government and industry, from advocacy organizations and academia, as well as from the scientific and medical communities. It is a notable sign of the force and maturity of globalization that most of the contributors, regardless of their nationality or backgrounds, quite naturally address these issues by considering different international perspectives. Although not every voice and every relevant issue appears in these pages, we believe we have made an unprecedented effort to gather a highly diverse and talented group of authors to address a broad spectrum of the issues that dominate the relationship between the pharmaceutical industry and society in a global context.

The diversity of viewpoints among the contributors is mirrored in the differing perspectives of the editors. Together, since the year 2000, we have taught a class at Rutgers Business School on the ethical and regulatory issues facing the pharmaceutical industry. Sometimes much to the unintended amusement of our students, and we hope occasionally to their enlightenment, we have sharply, though collegially, disagreed on many matters affecting the pharmaceutical industry. Our disagreements are perhaps rooted in two fundamentally different perspectives. First, Dr. Gorrie believes that healthcare is a commodity purchased by the individual or society, the provision of which is made through that most social of institutions, insurance. Government's role is to ensure that the economically disadvantaged have access to healthcare. By contrast, Prof.