The idea that public corporations have obligations that extend beyond the fiduciary responsibility to shareholders will be the dominant measure of responsible business behavior in the coming decade. Uncertainty about the extent of these commitments – commonly referenced as the environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda – has produced equally variable responses from companies in the health care business.

Bayer’s ambitious campaign to reposition itself as a global leader in two complementary fields – health and nutrition – will face its toughest test in the US, with its highly litigious approach to product liability and a tendency to target pharmaceuticals as the source of the health system’s affordability and access problems.

Insights from Gates Medical Research Institute CEO Dr. Penny Heaton.