Managed care payers, pharmacy directors, pharmacy benefit managers, specialty pharmacy directors, and any other pharmacist and/or healthcare professional interested in scientific advances in pulmonary arterial hypertension Activity OverviewPulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare, progressive disorder with currently unknown etiology.Initial symptoms are often nonspecific and include shortness of breath and fatigue, with some patients experiencing these symptoms for more than 2 years before receiving a diagnosis.As PAH progresses, these symptoms may become more severe and occur for patients at rest, making early recognition of symptoms and early diagnosis imperative among healthcare providers.Current treatment goals include symptom management and maintaining patient quality of life, so clinicians should be familiar with goal-directed therapy as well as tests and risk assessment tools to monitor prognosis, treatment, and disease progression in PAH.Multiple classes of agents are used in PAH treatment, and some have been investigated as combination therapy; however, healthcare providers should be aware that certain combinations should be avoided due to increased adverse effects.These therapies are associated with significant cost burden for patients and the healthcare system, giving managed care professionals a significant opportunity to reduce costs and facilitate access of these medications.Mismanagement of patients with PAH stemming from delayed diagnosis is a main concern, so ensuring consistent application of guideline recommendations is important to the PAH treatment paradigm. Educational ObjectivesUpon completion of this activity, participants will be able to: • Classify the pathophysiology, etiology, prognosis, and quality of life burden associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).• Explore the current treatment landscape, updated safety and efficacy data, and new and emerging therapies for PAH.• Identify the costs associated with PAH and opportunities to slow progression and improve outcomes in this patient population. Accreditation StatementPharmacy Times Continuing Education™ is accredited by the
Activity OverviewIron deficiency anemia (IDA) is closely linked to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).Treatment often consists of iron replacement therapy, and novel intravenous (IV) iron formulations have impacted the management of patients with both IBD and IDA.Managed care professionals must understand the role of IV iron in treating patients with IBD and IDA, as well as safety and efficacy considerations.This activity will review the role of IV iron replacement in IBD and IDA and focus on the economic burden of these disease states and the impact of IV iron on healthcare resource use. Statement of Educational NeedInflammation in the gastrointestinal tract can result in iron deficiency anemia (IDA), which is the most common complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).Treatment options for IBD can also contribute to the condition, with between 36% and 90% of patients with IBD developing IDA.These patients experience higher rates of hospitalization, longer lengths of stay, and high healthcare costs.Managed care professionals should be familiar with newer intravenous (IV) iron replacement therapies that are entering the treatment landscape of iron deficiency in IBD with the potential to reduce healthcare resource utilization and lessen disease severity for patients.The market for IV iron is expected to increase considerably through 2026, and payers must be equipped to address challenges affecting utilization of and access to these therapies, such as ensuring access to infusions when products require higher doses.To appropriately individualize the treatment of IDA in patients with IBD, managed care professionals must recognize the indications, risks, and benefits of IV iron replacement therapies to develop and implement evidence-based pathways and management plans. Educational ObjectivesUpon completion of this activity, participants should be able to: • Examine the biologic pathways relevant to iron hemostasis in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as well as appropriate monitoring of iron status.• Compare iron replacement therapies, including risks and benefits, for the treatment of patients with IBD and iron deficiency.• Explore the health-related quality of life and economic burden of iron deficiency anemia in relation to the evolving evidence-based treatment protocols for patients with IBD and iron deficiency to improve outcomes and efficiently allocate healthcare resources.
Managed care payers, pharmacy directors, pharmacy benefit managers, specialty pharmacy directors, and any other pharmacist and/or healthcare professional interested in scientific advances for combination therapies
Systemic Mastocytosis (SM) is a clonal disease characterized by abnormal accumulation of mast cells in multiple organs. Clinical presentations of the disease vary widely from indolent to aggressive forms, and to the exceedingly rare mast cell leukemia. Current treatment of aggressive SM and mast cell leukemia is unsatisfactory. An imatinib-resistant activating mutation of the receptor tyrosine kinase KIT (KIT D816V) is most frequently present in transformed mast cells and is associated with all clinical forms of the disease. Thus the etiology of the variable clinical aggressiveness of abnormal mast cells in SM is unclear. TET2 appears to be mutated in primary human samples in aggressive types of SM, suggesting a possible role in disease modification. In this report, we demonstrate the cooperation between KIT D816V and loss of function of TET2 in mast cell transformation and demonstrate a more aggressive phenotype in a murine model of SM when both mutations are present in progenitor cells. We exploit these findings to validate a combination treatment strategy targeting the epigenetic deregulation caused by loss of TET2 and the constitutively active KIT receptor for the treatment of patients with aggressive SM.
Activity OverviewIron deficiency anemia (IDA) is closely linked to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).Treatment often consists of iron replacement therapy, and novel intravenous (IV) iron formulations have impacted the management of patients with both IBD and IDA.Managed care professionals must understand the role of IV iron in treating patients with IBD and IDA, as well as safety and efficacy considerations.This activity will review the role of IV iron replacement in IBD and IDA and focus on the economic burden of these disease states and the impact of IV iron on healthcare resource use. Statement of Educational NeedInflammation in the gastrointestinal tract can result in iron deficiency anemia (IDA), which is the most common complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).Treatment options for IBD can also contribute to the condition, with between 36% and 90% of patients with IBD developing IDA.These patients experience higher rates of hospitalization, longer lengths of stay, and high healthcare costs.Managed care professionals should be familiar with newer intravenous (IV) iron replacement therapies that are entering the treatment landscape of iron deficiency in IBD with the potential to reduce healthcare resource utilization and lessen disease severity for patients.The market for IV iron is expected to increase considerably through 2026, and payers must be equipped to address challenges affecting utilization of and access to these therapies, such as ensuring access to infusions when products require higher doses.To appropriately individualize the treatment of IDA in patients with IBD, managed care professionals must recognize the indications, risks, and benefits of IV iron replacement therapies to develop and implement evidence-based pathways and management plans. Educational ObjectivesUpon completion of this activity, participants should be able to: • Examine the biologic pathways relevant to iron hemostasis in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as well as appropriate monitoring of iron status.• Compare iron replacement therapies, including risks and benefits, for the treatment of patients with IBD and iron deficiency.• Explore the health-related quality of life and economic burden of iron deficiency anemia in relation to the evolving evidence-based treatment protocols for patients with IBD and iron deficiency to improve outcomes and efficiently allocate healthcare resources.
