@GilenyaGoUSOnly: Another Rx Branded Twitter Account. Side Effects Sidebar is a Problem... Again!

Shame on me! I was unaware until today of @GilenyaGoUSOnly, an Rx-branded Twitter account run by Novartis, which markets Gilenya for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). This Twitter account has been "active"since November 22, 2012, when it published its first tweet. To date the account has posted only 121 tweets (an average of 10 tweets per month), follows nobody, but has over 3,000 followers (I just became a follower this morning).For the record, here's a screenshot of the Twitter account (click on it for a full-sized view):When the FDA, this past August (29 AUG), issued a warning for patients who take Gilenya after a patient taking the drug developed a rare but serious brain infection (see here), @GilenyaGoUSOnly was silent on the topic. That day @GilenyaGoUSOnly tweeted: "Interested in tips for straight talk with your doctor about GILENYA? Learn more: http://bit.ly/10vWfBX #USonly" The following day it tweeted about BBQing: "We’re excited for #LaborDay barbecues! #LongWeekend #USonly"This irks me because I -- like may others -- think pharma can best use Twitter not only to remind people about what to tell their physicians or to have fun BBing, but also to notify patients about drug recalls, counterfeit drugs, or drug safety warnings (see, for example, "Twitter for Brands: Beyond Marketing"). Obviously, @GilenyaGoUSOnly doesn't believe that kind of support is useful.That's one bone I have to pick with @GilenyaGoUSOnly. I also could criticiz...
Source: Pharma Marketing Blog - Category: Pharma Commentators Tags: Drug Safety PhRMA Guidelines Gilenya Novo Nordisk Race With Insulin DTC Advertising Twitter Risk Communication Novartis Source Type: blogs