Latest Conference Articles

Multiple sclerosis (MS) can be a challenging disease to diagnose because of its broad range of symptoms and because of the fact that many other syndromes can mimic MS. Additionally, the McDonald Criteria, which are clinical, radiographic, and laboratory criteria used for diagnosing MS, are sometimes misapplied, according to Andrew Solomon, MD, associate professor of neurological sciences and division chief of multiple sclerosis at Larner College of Medicine, The University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont.

Healthcare does not necessarily need to be disrupted, but it does need to evolve and utilize technology so that cancer care can move beyond the conventional walls of the healthcare delivery system, said Susan Dentzer, visiting fellow at the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, during her keynote speech at the Quality Cancer Care Alliance’s Leadership Summit.

Results for ozanimod, which is under review by FDA and European regulators for treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), were presented in poster sessions September 12, 2019, at ECTRIMS 2019, the 35th Annual Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, taking place in Stockholm, Sweden.

Age is an important factor in the disease burden of multiple sclerosis (MS), as rising age both impacts disease course and brings with it additional risk of comorbidities. However, disease duration may be an even more important factor than age in reaching disability milestones, according to Viktor von Wyl, PhD, project leader, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

FDA recently accepted the Biologics Licensing Application for inebilizumab to treat a rare autoimmune condition, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder. The results for inebilizumab were presented at the 35th Annual Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, taking place in Stockholm, Sweden.

While current therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) that treat focal inflammation are beneficial for many patients, there are other crucial aspects of the disease, including brain volume loss, that are not clearly linked to this inflammation and that demand new therapeutic developments, said Jan Hillert, MD, PhD, professor and senior physician in the department of clinical neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Speakers at a session at ECTRIMS 2019 on long-term outcomes in multiple sclerosis said that better therapies and improved understanding of the effect of comorbidities have improved outcomes. The session was part of the 35th Annual Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, taking place in Stockholm, Sweden.

Maria Trojano, MD, professor of neurology at the University of Bari, Italy, offered the opening lecture at ECTRIMS 2019, the 35th Annual Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, taking place in Stockholm, Sweden.

A poster featuring a post-hoc exploratory analysis of measures of thalamic volume from RADIANCE was presented September 11, 2019, at ECTRIMS 2019, the 35th Annual Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, taking place in Stockholm, Sweden.

Addressing comorbidities plays an important role in the management of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), particularly given their association with hospital admissions. In a study using data from the National Patient Sample, comorbidities were linked with patients’ age, sex, and race and ethnicity, said Deborah Taira, MPA, ScD, professor, Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo.

Some data suggest that pregnancy may be beneficial in the long-term for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), but there exist periods that may carry an extra risk of relapse, such as before conception and in the postpartum period, according to Marie D’hooghe, MD, PhD, neurologist at the National MS Center, Melsbroek, in Brussels, Belgium, and consultant neurologist at the University Hospital in Brussels, Belgium.

It’s crucial to have support from the numerous community settings that young people interact with so that they can feel understood and better manage their mental illness, according to Steven Adelsheim, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine.

There are less surprises in the results for performance period 4 of the Oncology Care Model, and practices seem to be mostly happier with how they’ve done, said Mike Fazio, senior vice president of client services, Archway Health.

Early intervention in potential cases of psychosis among young people hinges on multiple settings being aware of the early signs of the illness and able to link people to treatment, said Steven Adelsheim, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine.

Jacob Ballon, MD, MPH, clinical associate professor, psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University, explained how large databases can help researchers understand the variety of psychotic illnesses, potentially leading to more personalized treatments.

Nicholas Robert, MD, medical director of Data, Evidence & Insights, McKesson Life Sciences, discusses how patient-reported outcomes collected through real-world data can provide confirmatory information on newly approved drugs.

When assessing young people for potential early psychosis, psychiatrists should keep in mind that reassurance is particularly important for this patient group, explained Steven Adelsheim, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine.

Providers should treat patients with schizophrenia by thinking about them as people and understanding the full context of their lives, according to Jacob Ballon, MD, MPH, clinical associate professor, psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University.

Nicholas Robert, MD, medical director of Data, Evidence & Insights, McKesson Life Sciences, explains the impact of lag time between a drug's approval and its availability for use in the electronic medical record (EMR).

Providers who treat young people with psychosis must navigate a host of issues unique to this population, including confidentiality and consent rules, the role of the family, and support from schools, according to Steven Adelsheim, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine.

Early intervention is important in many illnesses, including psychosis, so treatment can begin as early as possible for best outcomes, explained Jacob Ballon, MD, MPH, clinical associate professor, psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University. He also discussed a resource for learning more about early intervention.

Data presented at the 175th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) support the potential of the investigational drug ALKS 3831 to provide the antipsychotic efficacy of olanzapine without the associated weight gain, said Adam Simmons, director of clinical program management, Alkermes. He also discussed the timing of when the data might be filed with the FDA.

Nicholas Robert, MD, medical director of Data, Evidence & Insights, McKesson Life Sciences, discusses the lag time between a drug's approval and its availability in the electronic medical record (EMR) for the physician to order.

Adam Simmons, director of clinical program management, Alkermes, explains that an investigational antipsychotic drug, ALKS 3831, provides the efficacy of olanzapine without the associated weight gain can provide benefits in the short and long term to payers and patients. Simmons spoke about data presented at the 175th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in San Francisco, California.

Increasing awareness of psychosis can help communities engage with patients on a human level and work together to improve, according to David Kingdon, MD, professor of mental health care delivery, University of Southampton.

Joann Sciandra, RN, BSN, CCM, associate vice president of healthcare management, Geisinger Health System, discusses how the role of case management has evolved with increased attention being paid to social determinants of health and if she thinks the role will continue to evolve in the future.

Eleanor M. Perfetto, PhD, MS, senior vice president of Strategic Initiatives for the National Health Council, discusses potential strategies for increasing transparency in value assessment and where education fits into the mix.

Isaac Galatzer-Levy, PhD, assistant professor in psychiatry and bioinformatics, NYU School of Medicine, and vice president of clinical and computational neuroscience, AiCure, said that technological solutions like artificial intelligence can help identify and monitor signs of mental illness so patients can be connected with the help they need.

Jason Mitchell, MD, chief medical and clinical transformation officer, Presbyterian Healthcare Services, discusses the role of commercial payers in the shift toward value-based care.

Patients with both physical and behavioral health conditions have significantly higher healthcare costs, so integrating both sides of their care can help lower those costs, explained Lori Raney, MD, principal, Health Management Associates.