When Warren Buffet recently endowed the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with $31 billion, it cemented that foundation as the largest in the history of the planet. The Gates Foundation had already impacted scores of people and countries with its philanthropic efforts, and it went into overdrive with the gift from Buffett.

Has the Gates Foundation changed the pharmaceutical landscape? According to some, it has -- and deeply. It's good to see the global pharmaceutical players having a danger posed to them.

Hey, it's what keeps companies inline when a disruptor changes the rules, right? Perhaps more collaboration between the largest philanthropy in the world and major pharma companies would be a nice middle ground.