Video Series

Panelists discuss how the CONVOKE clinical trial was designed as a 16-week study focusing specifically on patients with negative symptoms, incorporating patient input in app development and showing improvements in negative symptoms, depression, and cognitive function even in chronically ill patients.

Panelists discuss how prescription digital therapeutics are currently used in clinical practice, noting that while none are yet approved for schizophrenia, CT-155 shows promise in phase 3 trials, and existing PDTs like Rejoyn for depression demonstrate the potential for technology-based interventions.

Panelists discuss how guideline-directed medical therapy has evolved to include 4-pillar treatment for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor‐neprilysin inhibitors, β-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, SGLT2 inhibitors) that can reduce mortality by up to 60% and extend life by 6 years, though significant implementation gaps remain, with only about one-third of eligible patients receiving appropriate therapy, necessitating rapid initiation of all 4 drug classes within weeks rather than sequential titration.

Panelists discuss how effective heart failure management requires collaborative care across multiple specialties (primary care, cardiology, endocrinology, nephrology) with advanced practice providers serving as dedicated coordinators, utilizing multidisciplinary teams and algorithm-driven care protocols to optimize patient outcomes and prevent the hot potato approach to complex comorbidities.

An expert discusses how rilzabrutinib’s covalent reversible binding mechanism provides a favorable safety profile with only manageable grade 1 to 2 toxicities and no cardiovascular or bleeding complications, unlike earlier irreversible Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors.

An expert discusses how the phase 3 LUNA 3 trial demonstrated that rilzabrutinib achieved durable platelet responses in 23% of patients while also being the first prospective trial to show significant improvements across all quality-of-life metrics.

Panelists discuss how prescription digital therapeutics can serve the psychological and social components of schizophrenia treatment while potentially improving medication adherence, similar to how digital monitoring tools enhance outcomes in other chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension.

Panelists discuss how the global shortage of psychiatrists contributes to patient burden by necessitating expanded training for other health care professionals, including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, primary care doctors, and law enforcement to recognize and manage schizophrenia symptoms.

Panelists discuss how negative symptoms create significant patient burden by appearing during the prodromal period in late adolescence and requiring a comprehensive biopsychosocial treatment approach that addresses biological, psychological, and social aspects of care.

Panelists discuss how fitness assessment has evolved beyond traditional age cutoffs to incorporate comprehensive geriatric assessments, frailty measures, and individualized evaluations, while questioning whether intensive therapy should automatically be given to fit patients given newer effective treatment options.

Panelists discuss how heart failure classification involves HFrEF vs HFpEF distinctions and staging systems (A through D), with the greatest prevention opportunities existing in early stages A and B, where patients have risk factors or subclinical dysfunction but haven’t yet developed overt clinical symptoms.

Panelists discuss how quality metrics should focus on keeping patients out of hospitals through core medical therapies, measuring all-cause hospitalizations and days spent at home in the community, while tracking both process metrics (guideline-directed medical therapy prescriptions, comorbidity management) and outcome metrics (mortality, readmissions, quality of life) with financial incentives through Medicare Accountable Care Organization programs.

An expert discusses how current immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) treatments such as corticosteroids, rituximab, and fostamatinib have significant tolerability issues and fail to provide sustained platelet responses or address quality-of-life concerns.

An expert discusses how rilzabrutinib, a recently FDA-approved Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, targets the autoimmune pathophysiology of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) by modulating B cells, macrophages, and reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Shaji Kumar, MD, Mayo Clinic, explores the potential for earlier intervention and curative approaches in multiple myeloma, and explains how harnessing a patient's immune system through therapies like T-cell redirection could lead to better disease control, significantly extending progression-free survival and ultimately improving patient outcomes.

An expert discusses key challenges in advancing care for ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer, including the rarity of the disease and difficulty enrolling patients in clinical trials, while highlighting the importance of access to next-generation therapies, the impact of updated 2025 NCCN guidelines recommending taletrectinib, and the critical need for timely, comprehensive molecular testing to guide targeted treatment and avoid ineffective immunotherapy.

Panelists discuss how current risk stratification systems, particularly the European Leukemia Net 2022 classification for intensive therapy and the 2024 classification for lower intensity treatments, categorize patients based on complex cytogenetics and molecular features to guide prognosis and treatment selection.

Panelists discuss how the pathophysiology of acute myeloid leukemia has evolved from a single phenotype understanding to recognizing diverse genetic events that lead to transformation at the hematopoietic stem cell level, with treatment decisions now increasingly integrated with specific genetic mutations despite the disease’s rapid progression timeline.

Panelists discuss how heart failure affects 1 in 4 people over their lifetime with 7 million current cases in the US, while Optum Health has implemented an innovative screening program using symptom questionnaires, BNP testing, and echocardiograms for patients over age 60 years during wellness visits.

Panelists discuss how heart failure creates a massive economic burden of approximately $30 billion annually (expected to reach $70 billion to $80 billion by 2030), driven by hospitalizations, readmissions, expensive multidrug regimens costing over $20,000 to $30,000 per patient, and high-cost interventions like ablations and advanced therapies.

Panelists discuss how successful access initiatives include integrated specialty pharmacies, community-based clinics, clinical trial opportunities, telehealth services, and financial assistance programs like 340B to serve underserved populations with atopic dermatitis.

Panelists discuss how diverse clinical trial data help build patient trust by demonstrating therapy effectiveness in similar populations and address barriers like health care mistrust and representation in treatment development.

Panelists discuss how negative symptoms of schizophrenia differ from positive and cognitive symptoms, explaining that negative symptoms involve withdrawal, flat affect, and poverty of thought rather than the more visible hallucinations and delusions of positive symptoms.

Shaji Kumar, MD, Mayo Clinic, touches on the complexities of the drug approval process and examines how manufacturing challenges can delay FDA approval. He also returns to the guidelines update and their call to tailor treatment intensity overall and ensure equitable care for Black or African American individuals.

Panelists discuss their final thoughts on the evolving landscape of alopecia areata (AA) treatment, summarizing key takeaways from the discussion and reflecting on future directions for patient care and therapy advancements.

Shaji Kumar, MD, Mayo Clinic, highlights linvoseltamab’s dosing regimen, adverse effect profile, and management strategies. He speaks in particular about cytokine release syndrome, which although common, is typically mild and of short duration, and of proactive prophylaxis to mitigate the risk of severe infection.

Panelists discuss how the introduction of Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor therapies will likely change treatment algorithms for alopecia areata (AA), with insights on how payers should plan for coverage in the coming years and explore the biggest unmet needs for patients with AA and potential improvements in care.

An expert discusses the personalized approach to treating ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer, emphasizing the preference for next-generation TKIs like taletrectinib and repotrectinib due to their CNS activity and efficacy against resistance mutations, particularly G2032R, while highlighting the importance of molecular profiling, avoiding immunotherapy, and considering clinical trials or chemotherapy in later-line settings.