This journal, the society and its members have always been perceived to be be anti-drug company. Certainly, we have published an entire issue on the pharmaceutical industry. One of us has been instrumental in abolishing drug company sponsorship for conferences held in his institution, another has done a study on pharmaceutical promotional practices. I, with others, have complained in The Lancet about the third world being treated differentially by companies. It is therefore time to admit that I recently attended a one and half day conference - organised entirely by a drug company.