This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

I've been debating with myself whether to post this quote that appeared on another MS forum. The person who posted it stated that it was obtained from the Biogen message board. I have no way of verifying this other than it appears to be legitimate.

I know it is going to instigate responses of various opinions but I hope everyone respects all the opinions expressed.

The original poster was quite upset by the fact that one Biogen employee appeared to hold MS patients in such low esteem and likened them to an experiment. Each and every reader will have determine for themselves how they take this quote.

Harry
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This quote from a Biogen employee was supposedly taken from their message board...

Those who are not in medicine are
by: webmd01
Long-Term Sentiment: Strong Buy 03/04/05 02:03 pm
Msg: 32500 of 32561

panicking because they fail to understand the nature of the illness we're treating here. The patients have a chronic illness that will eventually take their lives so even if Tysabri by itself will prolong their lives and allow them to be more functional then the FDA is more than likely willing to allow this to remain on the market. I think however, clinicians will combine Tysabri with other meds
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Harry, if this is from the Yahoo! Finance message board, I would give it nearly 0% credence as actually being from a Biogen employee. Most likely it is an ill-informed investor.

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Disclaimer: Any information you find on this site should not be considered medical advice. All decisions should be made with the consent of your doctor, otherwise you are at your own risk.

Arron,


The poster mentioned that it was from the BIIB message board. Up until yesterday, I didn't even know that board existed and I have no way of knowing if it is legitimate. I can only go by the person who posted it and that person is supposed to be reliable.

Harry

All I can say is "since when"? Apparently, the poster himself/herself doesn't know much about MS!

If it was from an employee of Biogen, that's scary. If it was from an investor, that's scary. (i.e. that that's what their belief is).



Deb

Well, for once this is an issue I can't really get real worked up about. (But then maybe I'm just not getting it...)

But you're right, Deb, whoever it was knew little or nothing about MS. I expect to die with MS, but not from it...

However, even if it really was posted by "a Biogen employee", couldn't it just have easily been the person who keeps the computer network running, or a stressed-out glass-cleaner from the lab? Or a bored data-entry geek with delusions of intellectual grandeur?

Whoever it was, the syntax of the post leads me to guess that the writer wasn't well-educated enough to be anybody important (other than a legend in his/her own mind).

I've found that most people who have no experience with MS assume it's a terminal illness, haven't you? Just think of all the people who got the sum total of their "information" about MS from watching something like "Hilary & Jackie" or "Duet for One"? No wonder they think we've got absolutely nothing to lose!

And even at that, their ignorance wouldn't bother me that much if the same uninformed know-it-alls didn't keep pretending to be experts , who see everything so much more clearly and logically than all the "panicking" masses.

Yeah, flora. I agree.

Naw..........I'm not worked up over it, either. It's just a little frustrating sometimes to think that so little accurate information about MS seems to be getting out.

Actually, I've experienced the 180% opposite of that assumption. It's more like "MS? So what, that's nothing!"

Guess we can't win sometimes.

Deb

Wow. I haven't encountered that particular response yet. But then I wasn't that aware of MS myself until my own surprise dx in August of '03, so I'm still kinda new to this, haven't really told that many people....

One response I've gotten repeatedly, when I tell people about the dx: " No way. You couldn't possibly have MS. You're just don't get enough sleep"
or, get this "I knew this would happen. It's because you don't eat red meat!"