Are "permissioned" implementations of Ethereum helping the case of crypto-currencies?

Just the other minute I learned from @boxmining that the two pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Genentech are developing an an enterprise-focused Ethereum-based smart contract platform, which should help to prevent counterfeit medicines (read the original news article here).

According to Fortune, the MediLedger Project is using Quorum, an enterprise-focused Ethereum-based smart contract platform developed by J.P. Morgan - quelle ironie!

At the first moment I thought this was pretty cool. But then I was wondering whether this brings any benefit to the crypto-community resp. if it helps to advance the case of crypto-currencies. Because after all, we're not talking about an open blockchain, but about a "permissioned" one, meaning that private entities are in control.

And this is where my questions begin and I was hoping that someone of you, dear readers, might have a better understanding of the matter, than I do.

Basically, I was wondering whether these permissioned platforms, running on top of the Ethereum protocol would also need to buy Gas from the Ethereum-network, in order to execute their transactions?

If this would be the case, permissioned implementations of Ethereum or other blockchains would help putting forward the crypto-community as a whole. Otherwise it would be only to the profit of J.P. Morgan and the company using the ethereum protocol.

I'd love to discuss with you in the comment-section below, what you think about Pfizer using Ethereum.