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Part IV. BALANCING BENEFITS VERSUS CONCERNS 
In order to place in perspective the social and ethical 
questions which have been raised concerning the results which may 
be possible through use of biotechnology, more specifically 
rDNA technology, by the pharmaceutical industry, one must not 
only analyze these concerns but also evaluate them against the 
benefits which are possible. The preceding chapters have 
discussed what biotechnology is, how it has been regulated, the 
types of concerns which have been raised regarding its potential 
misuse in human experimentation, and only partially reviewed the 
benefits which are possible through use of this new technology. 
One must not diminish the importance of the latter point since 
the potential benefits are truly substantial. 
The pharmaceutical industry has and will continue to 
use rDNA technology in a responsible manner. Most importantly, 
rDNA technology will create therapeutic and diagnostic products 
which are found in nature but which otherwise could not be 
produced economically for commercial use. Examples of this 
include human insulin which is now being marketed in the United 
States and several other countries, human growth hormone which 
is under clinical investigation and several forms of interferon 
which are also under clinical investigation. Also, through use 
of this new technology, it is possible to improve production 
efficiences for existing products. This in the long run will 
result in better control over escalating costs in this industry. 
Without rDNA technology, the benefits and potential benefits of 
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