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Thirty years ago, when many of us first became members of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), there was little interest by industry in neurology as a medical specialty. At that time there were few effective treatments for neurologic illnesses, and the AAN Annual Meeting was devoted to science and education. As a result of the rapid advances in basic neurobiology and disease-related laboratory research that have occurred since then, the stakes have become higher for patients, academy members, and industry. As more treatments for neurologic conditions became available, our patients’ and the general public’s expectations rose, anticipating that continuing, even accelerating, gains in basic knowledge would be translated into improved therapies, or even cures, of neurologic diseases that continue to take a heavy toll on the population.
The extent and scope of the new therapies across a broad spectrum of neurologic disorders have changed our specialty, our journal, and, perhaps most visibly, the Annual Meeting. The changes in practice are apparent to every neurologist: there are now effective treatments for stroke, PD and other movement disorders, neuromuscular diseases, epilepsy, and MS. There is even hope for AD and other dementias, ALS, and Huntington disease. And this list is by no means exhaustive. The pharmaceutical industry has played an important role in these therapeutic advances: companies develop the drugs we use, work hard to get them approved by the FDA, and push payors to reimburse pharmacies and patients when new medications are prescribed.
The Annual Meeting is visibly different in today’s environment. Pharmaceutical logos seem to be everywhere. The exhibit hall is usually centrally located and huge, with gigantic display booths crammed not only with product information but also with interactive computer programs, mini-lectures by experts (either live or recorded), food, and a wealth of take-away items. The commercial presence …
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