Table 1. Missions of academic health centers and medical companies.

Mission of academic health center	Mission of drug, medical device, or biotech company
Conduct basic research to understand the mechanisms of disease and human functioning	Develop new products that will generate profits for the company
Train graduate students and fellows to become independent investigators who can compete effectively for funding from the National Institutes of Health	Encourage graduate students and fellows to carry out research on the company's promising products for development
Promote evidence-based medicine and independent critical judgment by physicians	Develop marketing strategies to improve sales and profits
Provide cost-effective care to patients and achieve a profit margin from clinical care that can be used to subsidize other activities	Increase profits through increased sales of products
Improve public health, global health, and care for orphan diseases for which patients seek care at the hospital	Work on issues of public health and global health and on treatments for orphan diseases if it fits the company's business model or plan for charitable giving or enhances its reputation

Source: From Lo.⁵ Reprinted with permission of the Massachusetts Medical Society.