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In the mid-1970s, I was Western Region Sales Manager for a small company in Albuquerque named MITS. At this company, in the summer of 1974, Ed Roberts, president of MITS, Inc., developed the Altair 8800 microcomputer and began the microcomputer revolution. Paul Allen and Bill Gates came to work at MITS in 1975 as the company's programming staff. Around that time, I joined the company.

One of my tasks at MITS was to travel around giving Microcomputer Seminars, teaching peo

According to USFDA, a combination product is one composed of any combination of a drug and device; biological product and device; drug and biological product

ple about microcomputers and how they could use them. At that time, there were no PC or Apple computers, there were no home computers, except for the talented engineering oriented people who could take components and build their own. There was no Windows Operating Systems, nor any of the multitude of computer software we have today. How did we survive in those days?

The MITS Altair computer ran on a floppy disk based operating system called CPM. Gary Kildall, Digital Rese

; or drug, device, and biological product and fixed dose combination would include two or more combinations of drug.

Examples of combination products may in

arch Inc., located in Pacific Grove, California, created CPM and for a short time had a monopoly on microcomputer operating system software.

Then, we all know the story. Bill Gates and Paul Allen, in their post-MITS life, went to Seattle and began a small company named Microsoft in the late 1970s --- and, to use an old clich?, the rest is history. I would say that they made the company fairly successful.

Bill, Paul, and I went our separate ways after MITS; they to wealth

lude drug-coated devices, drugs packaged with delivery devices in medical kits, and drugs and devices packaged separately but intended to be used together.

and fame --- Bill Gray, after wandering a bit longer in the world, became a born again Christian and began a life of storing up treasures in heaven.

In September 1997, sitting in worship service at our Filipino-American Church of Irvine (California), God put Bill Gates heavily on my heart. I felt that God was telling me to write a letter to Bill Gates, a letter of encouragement. I had no idea why; but, when God tells you to do something, or to use another old clich? --- wh

here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe

en God says, "Jump!" --- we do not ask why, we only ask, "How high?"

So, I began writing the letter shown below. During worship service I wrote the letter; then began to wonder if it was really God who put this in my mind. I decided to test it --- so, I put the letter aside for about two weeks. Still, God was urging me, that small still voice we often hear, to finish the letter and send it.

I finished the letter, enclosed several tracts I had written be

d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.

Combination pro

fore, and mailed it to Bill's office in Redmond, Washington. Then, I said, "Okay, Lord, I have written and sent the letter. The rest is up to You." To be quite honest with you, I have no idea if Bill ever received the letter, or if someone else in his office read it and the tracts, or if it was just tossed into File 13, the trash can. But, that was not my problem. God said write the letter and mail it --- and I did. The rest was up to him.

Just a few years ag

ucts have become life saving products for the pharmaceutical companies who doesn’t have many innovative molecules in their product pipeline and have been inc

o, I learned that Bill's mom, Mary Gates, had died on June 9, 1994. My mother went home to be with her Lord and Savior on February 22, 1994. Was that the connection? Did Bill need reassurance or encouragement because his mom had so recently passed away? I have no idea. I just know that, as a child of God, when He puts something, or someone, on your heart; when He gives you a task --- you should not ask why (or why me?) --- you just say, "Yes, Lord" --- and follo

easingly used in the product life cycle management. Even the companies having product patents are trying to extend their product life cycle through the combi

w His lead.

Is God putting someone on your heart today? Is God urging you, that still little voice, to begin a ministry today? Is God telling you, again that small still voice, to get more involved in evangelism today? Don't ask, "Why?" or "Why me?" --- just ask, "How high, Lord?"

Is that small still voice telling you to share this message with your Friends, Relatives, Associates, and

nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically

Neighbors --- all your FRANs? Remember, it is not "Why?" ---- but, "How high, Lord?"

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill Gray billdory@pacbell.net

MY LETTER TO BILL GATES

October 4, 1997

Mr. Bill Gates Microsoft Corporation 1 Micr

and physically. They need to rightly judge the benefits of the combination products and they have to even look at the risks involved when combining the produ

osoft Way Redmond, WA 98052

Dear Bill:

It has been quite a while since you, Paul, and I worked for MITS. Over the years it has been exciting watching your and Paul's rise to the top. Often I have laughed when I read or heard, "Bill Gates is a barracuda! How else could he be so successful?" I tell them I still see the youthful, soft-spoken Bill and Paul who were our programming staff at MITS, the same Bill and Paul who, after an already measurable success at a

ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi

young Microsoft, still were down to earth enough to stop by my booth at Fall Joint Computer Conference to say hello.

Bill, you may wonder why I have written this letter. From all that I have seen in the industry and the media you are a very happy, successful, well adjusted person. I have watched news accounts of your relatively recent marriage, your new home, and how well you have handled your relationship with your neighbors-to-be to help them survive the disruptions in t

ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a

heir daily lives caused by the construction of your new home. Everything I have read or heard tells me that you have it all together, still the same down to earth Bill I knew in the seventies.

However, at a recent Sunday worship service, as our pastor was leading us in prayer, you were very strong on my mind and my heart. Nothing the pastor said related to you in any way and I had no idea why you suddenly were so strong on my mind. I felt that you have a need. I don't kn

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod

ow what, but maybe a need that possibly only God can provide. Bill, I don't know your religious affiliation or what kind of relationship you have with God. I do know that He put a concern for you in my heart and I don't know why. One thing I have learned though is to trust Him when He guides me. I immediately began to write this letter that day in church; then I let it sit for a while to see what He would have me do.

Possibly it could have been triggered by Princess Dian

cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin

a's death. As you can see from the enclosed tracts I responded to that by writing my feelings also, though not a direct letter such as this. Upon her death I felt that I should write something to awaken us to our responsibility to each other, our responsibility to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to select or reject eternal salvation personally, and the knowledge to make a wise choice.

I don't write this letter because you are Bill Gates, the wealthy, successful

tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen

industry leader. I write it because you are Bill Gates, either a brother in Christ, or a brother in need of Christ. I don't know which but I do know that I care and that God cares. Bill, you apparently have all that a person could want in this world, but do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Do you know for sure that if you die today you will have eternal life with Jesus Christ? You can have that assurance, you can know without a doubt today. God loves

t?

As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel

you; He tells you that in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world (you and me); that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."

Bill, I will not throw a bunch of Bible verses at you. But, if you have the time, I do encourage you to read the tracts I have enclosed. God has really blessed me with a writing ministry. He has given me the skills and the inspirations to create articles, tracts, and ne

ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

wsletters that have blessed many lives. Several years ago He led me to a ministry of publishing a Christian newsletter, "The Good News," and He has given me a ministry of writing inspirational tracts to encourage fellow believers and to persuade non-believers to come to Him.

I just want you to know that God put a concern for you in my heart and I feel so blessed anytime He will use me to help another person. I want nothing from you; I do want something for you. I

y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products

f you are already a born-again Christian, I am so happy and I praise His name. If you are not and one of the tracts or something in this letter helps you to find Him, write me a note and let me know. That way we both can sing His praise. If you have questions about your relationship with Jesus Christ and I can help, please let me know. If there is anything I can do for you, please let me know. I care very much what happens to you in this life and especially when you pass

.

As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de

through the doorway of eternity.

Bill, I will pray for you and for your need that God laid on my heart. I don't know what it is, but He does, and with sincere prayer He always gives an answer.

God bless you and your family,

Bill Gray

Bill & Dory's Ministry Web Site: www.BillDory-Christian-Ministries.com

To be added to my Friends Ministry

elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

mail list, or to add a friend, please e-mail me.

If you would like to become a prayer partner in the Worldwide Prayer Chain, or would like more info on this intercessory prayer chain, please e-mail me.

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

tion in industry events and feedback to regulatory authorities would be able to face the challenges and will be successful in developing combination products

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