Marketing to the patients

I know pharmaceutical companies are trying to market direct to companies through their ads on TV which include the low voiced list of possible side effects and the single page ads in magazines followed by two pages of fine print. We have all see them. Now I am seeing something different.

Yesterday I received an email inviting me to a webinar fun by Pfizer on one of their new medications for RA:

"Exploring Rheumatoid Arthritis – A Live Studio Broadcast Event

Join us on Thursday, May 8, 2014.

If you’re one of the hundreds of thousands of adults living with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, Pfizer is hosting the first live event designed to explore ways you can help treat your RA.
You will of course learn more about XELJANZ, first in a new class of oral treatment for RA.
Xeljanz is a prescription medicine called a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor. XELJANZ is used to treat adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis in whom methotrexate did not work well. It is not known if XELJANZ is safe and effective in people with hepatitis B or C. XELJANZ is not for people with severe liver problems. It is not known if XELJANZ is safe and effective in children.
We’ll also listen to personal RA stories from patients being treated with XELJANZ, explore ways to change the conversation with your healthcare provider, and take a more active role in letting your healthcare provider know what's important to you.
May 8, 2014, could be an exciting opportunity to learn about rheumatoid arthritis and XELJANZ. Register for a live event or an online program now!"

Hmmm.... I thought. I am still thinking.They are promoting it as an educational event which of course will include information on Xeljanz. Do I want to attend? I am not sure. I would be happy to learn more about RA but not sure if I am interested in learning about a new medication.

And do I have moderate to severely active RA? And my methotrexate is working as far as I can tell. But its an interesting marketing tactic.