Company sponsored event

[cali1892]

Has anyone ever been to the medicine company sponsored speaking, meeting events? What happens? Is the whole thing about taking that medicine and how great it is? I've never been to any kind of meeting or speech thingy. Sorry about my wording this morning. The right words just won't come to mind this morning.

[sulphur kennel]

med sponsored events

I have been to a couple. Depending on the speaker, you can expect them to give you the latest updates on that medication. They usually have a question and answer session afterward where they can talk about anything. I have found them very good for answering questions about treatments and other options. The couple I have been to usually have a meal at a local restraunt followed by the presentation.

[TLC_31]

I absolutely suggest you attend the drug company-sponsored meetings that you describe. I’ve averaged one or two a year for the past nine years, just as often those presented by Rebif as those presented by my own medicine, Avonex.

You and a guest (if you bring one) sit for dinner at a banquet table, remember to sit where you’ll face the speaker and/or video screen without having to turn your chair around! For 30 minutes or so you’ll eat and have conversation with others at the table, potentially making connections or garnering advice much as you might in an MSWorld forum. And of course you can mingle more after the presentation.

Speakers usually cover more basic beginner topics, and you’ll usually have an opportunity to ask questions. They will pepper the talk with varying degrees of positive comments about the sponsor drug, but I’ve never felt the hard sell. Once (a year ago?) I submitted a question about a study that had questioned the effectiveness of interferons, and they chose not to answer it.

I wasn’t surprised, although I think speakers at other such events would have answered it, much as they answer a wide variety of questions sometimes even outside of the scope of the speech.

What you hear at the presentation can often be fodder for a thread here, either for you to simply share or to ask some unanswered questions the presentation might have raised.

[BigA]

You're wary, that's good. However, they're fun and if your drug rep is smart, they pick nice venues. Here's the low-down as far as I'm concerned:

Teva (Copaxone) put on excellent, informative events in great locations. They allow the doctors to use their own slides and don't restrict them very much in what they can say. A Teva event can truly be informative. They also hire a motivational speaker, ususally someone with MS who you may really enjoy. They also hire people with MS to help out. It's an informative social event where they hope you will consider their treatment.

Biogen (Avonex) does a decent job. It's a commercial for their products, but if you use them, they give out helpful information. The speaker I saw could only be described as a shill, gushing about how well she had done on Avonex, rather than a giving a positive general talk about what you we can accomplish. Also, the doctors are given slides to talk about and are not allowed to deviate. It's got to be somewhat humiliating for the doctors and even though some give their pay (they are paid) to charity, they're still trolling for patients.

Novartis (Gilenya) is pretty much like Biogen, but not quite as skilled - they're the newest entrants and obviously don't have as much skill.

In general, I advise people to go to these events since they can be enjoyable social events, a good meal and a chance to meet with other MSers. No one will ask or even infer that you should switch to their medication, but they will tell you how great it is. But there is no pressure. They're worth trying, you can even take a date. I think they fill a role that the MS Society has traditionally neglected.

[cali1892]

Thanks for all your responses. This one is put on by Ampyra. Which I tried and it didn't work for me. The speaker is my ms specialist.
My husband can't go, I would feel better if her could go with me.

[onlyairfare]

I was diagnosed with MS 11 years ago and have only once received an invitation to one of these events. I attended and found it very interesting and informative. As far as I noted, the speaker was not particularly biased to any one drug. What was clear was that he is very aggressive in treating his MS patients. He was from a nearby city where there are two large MS Centers, one known as rather conservative and one as aggressive. He was from the second center.

I also enjoyed meeting and talking with other MS patients. I'd attend another such meeting if I had the opportunity, as it was worth the trip from my small town.

[Toomnyhats]

Just came back from a drug company sponsored luncheon!

This one was sponsored by Ampyra, although I don't care who's footing the bill A local MS doc presented the Ampyra slides & expounded on their simplistic diagrams (learned something new about nerve conductivity today!).

Usually the "motivational" speaker is someone who has done well on the drug but today we had a physical therapist which was very interesting to me. She brought up some points I intend to discuss w/my doc next week. (Such as we all should be evaluated by a PT BEFORE we need it so we have a baseline reading & they may be able to make suggestions to help us keep what mobility we have.)

I go to the dinners when: 1) it is within reasonable driving distance; 2) the topic and/or speaker is of interest to me.

Like I said, I don't care who foots the bill, I attend for the opportunity to learn something new & for the free food

[onlyairfare]

How do you get on the invitation list?

I live/work in different locations, but I am within driving distance of Charlotte, Winston-Salem and Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill when I am in North Carolina; and within driving distance of Phoenix and Albuqueque when I am in Arizona; and within driving distance of Seattle and Vancouver, BC when I am in Washington State. I go to Denver regularly too.

It sounds like they have such events in all these locations.

[kelm10]

websites

If I don't get invitation, I go to their websites. They are all easily found with a search engine (google etc.) Look for education experiences and live events or so such words. You can sign up that way for most of the drug company's talks.

I go to them often. I am a support group leader so I like to keep informed. All the ones that I have attended, the slides were from the drug company. The physician says that it is presented by that drug company. I have seen almost all the physician will vere from the drug company slides if there is an important point brought up.

It has never been a big push to have you switch to their drug. But, all their literature is there.

Each drug company does it different with the motivational speaker. I heard Avonex is more about engaging the audience now.

One person that I know uses these talks as the start of date night. The food is usually very good.

[Toomnyhats]

To learn about the events go to the drug's website. There should be a place to register for notification of events.

Unless ... you have an advocate's advocate (someone who is really passionate ) in your support group. Then you get on the support group email list to receive notice of every event within a 75-mile radius.

Personally, I would register at every drug website, whether you take it or not. You will be asked if you take the drug, but it is not a requirement of attendance.

In the case of Ampyra, doesn't matter what dmd you take since it isn't a dmd. The others, especially Ty & the new pills, they want to educate you so you can ask your doc for their drug.