Public policy-making is an increasingly complex undertaking in a globalizing world, especially as policy domains formerly viewed in isolation become more intertwined. This complexity marks the interplay between health, intellectual property and trade policies. Can such interplay be managed so as to enhance the discovery, development and delivery of medical technologies for better health services and outcomes? This question is at the heart of a joint study on promoting access to medical technologies and innovation recently launched by the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). ¹