Clinical

The shift toward fibrosis end points and noninvasive biomarkers in MASH trials may ease enrollment, improve assessment, and reduce biopsy use, Zobair M. Younossi, MD, said.

Setmelanotide cut BMI 16.5% in a trial for acquired hypothalamic obesity, easing hyperphagia, though adverse events require close monitoring.

Extreme heat may accelerate plastic breakdown and increase microplastic exposure, with potential CV, endocrine, and skin health effects, said Eva R. Parker, MD.

In the final episode, 'Access, Coverage, and Final Reflections on Managing Alzheimer's Disease Agitation,' the panelists explored the following critical questions: How has insurance coverage been with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved therapies for Alzheimer's disease agitation? What are best practices in working with insurance providers to get coverage for patients?

In 'Choosing Between Approved Therapies: Differentiation, Sequencing, and Black Box Warning Navigation in Alzheimer's Disease Agitation,' the expert neurologists examined the following critical questions: In your practice, how are you differentiating antipsychotic therapies from dextromethorphan-bupropion for patients with Alzheimer's disease agitation? With the introduction of 2 Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved therapies in the last few years, how are you sequencing treatments in patients with Alzheimer's disease agitation? How are you navigating black box warnings with certain therapies?

Brittany G. Craiglow, MD, FAAD, discusses JAK inhibitor hesitancy in pediatric alopecia areata, boxed warnings, and why step therapy falls short.

Although new guidelines call for universal screening, most Americans with elevated Lp(a) still don't know their number.

High-risk nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use declined modestly in Virginia during the COVID-19 pandemic but remained prevalent from 2019 to 2021. Demographic disparities reveal distinct opportunities for targeted deprescribing interventions.

Global third-dose hepatitis B (HepB3) vaccine coverage reached 81.8% in 2023, but persistent gaps in Africa and South Asia threaten WHO elimination goals.

The OVERLORD-MS trial finds rituximab matches ocrelizumab in relapsing multiple sclerosis, with similar MRI control, relapses, and safety.

All from July, these 5 novel therapeutics each claimed a “first” in their category.

The SYNCHRONIZE-1 trial was a Phase III double-blind study in which patients with elevated BMI were randomized in a one-to-one-to-one ratio to placebo, 3.6 mg, or 6.6 mg of survodutide alongside lifestyle counseling, with the primary endpoint of at least 5% weight loss at week 76.

This segment explores the emerging and controversial role of circulating tumor DNA in guiding treatment decisions in hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer.

This segment explores the challenges of differentiating among multiple oral selective estrogen receptor degraders as they become available for hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer.

Noureddin framed the emergence of dual GLP-1/glucagon receptor agonism as a significant development, placing it alongside artificial intelligence as a transformative force in medicine, noting that while GLP-1 receptor agonists have already improved the management of metabolic syndrome and generated robust data across obesity and cardiovascular outcomes, the bar has now moved higher, with tolerability, injection frequency, oral versus injectable delivery, and liver-specific activity all emerging as key differentiators among the next generation of incretin-based therapies.

In this episode, 'Comparing the Two Approved Therapies: Dextromethorphan-Bupropion and Brexpiprazole in Alzheimer's Disease Agitation,' the expert neurologists explored the following question: What were the key safety and efficacy results that led to its approval and how do they compare with brexpiprazole's?

In 'Brexpiprazole and Dextromethorphan-Buproprion: Mechanisms of Action and Key Clinical Trial Data for Approved Alzheimer's Disease Agitation Therapies,' the expert neurologists examined the following critical questions: Brexpiprazole was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2023 and dextromethorphan/buproprion in 2026 for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease agitation. What are the mechanisms of action of these therapies? What were the key safety and efficacy results seen in the clinical trials?

Phase 3 SOLARIS found high-dose vitamin D3 added to standard chemotherapy did not significantly improve progression-free survival in metastatic CRC.

Katherine Wilemon, Family Heart Foundation, described the biggest unmet need when it comes to public awareness of Lp(a) and its associated risk factors.

MASLD was linked to higher odds of EoE and reflux-related diseases, suggesting metabolic dysfunction may contribute to esophageal disease.

Tara Graff described her approach to communicating PFS data with patients, explaining that rather than using clinical terminology, she frames progression-free survival in terms patients can connect with, presenting treatment options side by side and translating trial outcomes into plain language estimates of how long a given therapy is likely to keep their disease in remission.

Dr. Buchfuhrer examined the persistence of TNF cycling in clinical practice despite observational data, including a large-scale study of more than 15,000 patients, showing that most patients who fail one TNF inhibitor are kept on the same drug class rather than switched.

Tara Graff noted that while RRFL patients themselves do not look fundamentally different between community and academic settings, what varies is how those patients are managed at relapse, with disease trajectory serving as one of the most critical and sometimes underappreciated factors in community practice treatment decision-making.

Dr. Buchfuhrer discussed defining remission, rather than low disease activity, as the treatment target for RA, describing it as the point where a patient no longer needs to consciously check in with their joints day to day.

Steven D. Nathan, MD, discusses inhaled treprostinil and why inhaled therapies could mark the next frontier in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) care.