Clinical

The top 5 most-viewed content from this year's American Society for Preventive Cardiology (ASPC) Congress on Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Prevention included interviews with Robert Kushner, MD, MS, and Martha Gulati, MD, MS, FACC, FAHA, FASPC, FESC, as well as coverage on multiple areas of cardiovascular medicine.

The SEQUOIA study's 5-year follow-up confirms zanubrutinib's safety profile and low cardiovascular events in treatment-naive chronic lymphocytic leukemia, according to Mazyar Shadman, MD, MPH, of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.

The meta-analysis found indications that autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is associated with higher rates of disease-free survival and relapse-free survival, as well as lower rates of relapse compared with chemotherapy after patients achieved their first complete response (CR).

Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) class correlates with activities of daily living and other clinical characteristics on a group level, but individual variability is significant between patients of the same MGFA class.

Promising topline results from a phase 3B study show the efficacy and quality of life (QOL) improvements of iptacopan (Fabhalta) as a twice-daily oral monotherapy for adult patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) who transitioned from anti-C5 therapies.

Data presented at the 2024 American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions showed that continuous treatment with acoramidis (Attruby; BridgeBio Pharma) significantly reduced the risk of all-cause mortality (ACM) and cardiovascular-related hospitalizations (CVH) in patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM).

Top coverage from the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress 2024 spanned various topics, including artificial intelligence–powered robots transforming respiratory care and late-breaking findings on an epilepsy drug showing promise for treating obstructive sleep apnea.

In part 2 of our interview, Cesar Davila-Chapa, MD, discusses key findings, limitations, and future research directions from his study on racial disparities in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) outcomes.

While race-aware models showed superior statistical calibration across racial and ethnic groups, their benefits in clinical decision-making were less pronounced than expected.

Gene therapy partially restores visual processing in the geniculostriate pathway of patients with Leber congenital amaurosis type 2 while maintaining compensatory activity in the retinotectal pathway.

The panelist discusses how Rebyota is an FDA-approved microbiome therapeutic that delivers standardized, purified intestinal microbiota through enema administration to restore gut microbial diversity and prevent recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection, differing from conventional fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in its regulatory status, standardized manufacturing process, and enhanced safety profile due to extensive screening and purification of donor material.

The panelist discusses how fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) involves transferring stool from healthy donors to restore gut microbiota in patients with recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection, though safety concerns include potential pathogen transmission and careful donor screening requirements, while OpenBiome’s standardized frozen FMT preparations have helped advance accessibility but should be used according to current FDA guidance for investigational use.

The 6-year mandatory Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model aims to boost kidney transplants and address disparities by incentivizing hospitals, enhancing care coordination, and measuring transplant outcome performance.

Meaningful change thresholds for the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) are: −11/+11 for symptom burden, −16/+16 for physical condition/fatigue, and −16/+13 for worries/fears.

Investigators were seeking clarification on optimal sequencing of the immune checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab following treatment failure and disease progression after receipt of nivolumab and pembrolizumab.

COVID-19 vaccination significantly reduced anxiety and depression in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), improving their mental health one month after the first dose.

The findings show that increases in serum glial fibrillary acidic protein throughout B-cell depletion therapy are associated with disability worsening despite not relapsing—known as progression independent of relapse activity.

A decade after the discovery of CALR, the results are the first for a possible therapy for CALR-mutated MPNs to reach the clinic.

November is Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month. Diabetes is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the US. Here is a look at recent research related to diabetic eye diseases.

The European Commission has approved mirvetuximab soravtansine for select patients with pretreated folate receptor–alpha (FRα)-positive, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

Investigators said patients experienced adverse effects in line with those expected for myeloablative conditioning with busulfan following treatment with betibeglogene autotemcel (beti-cel; Zynteglo; bluebird bio).

The single-center report showed the therapy had a favorable safety profile and manageable side effects in children with relapsed or refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

A study in Japan found that antifibrotic treatment rates for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) varied by medical facility, with higher treatment rates observed in referral hospitals than in general hospitals or clinics.

An analysis of challenges and strategies for integrating HER2-directed therapies into decision-making for NSCLC, with a focus on timely updates, collaborative efforts among stakeholders, and balancing equitable access with cost management.

An overview of challenges in transitioning from IV to oral medications and guidance on identifying NSCLC patient populations most likely to benefit from HER2-directed therapies through informed patient selection strategies.