Ryan Haumschild, PharmD, MS, MBA

Panelists discuss how switching therapies in patients with alopecia areata (AA) is often necessary when initial treatments fail, though it can create a cost burden, and how beyond updated guidelines, there are unmet needs such as improved long-term treatments and better psychological support for patients.

Panelists discuss how the high failure rate of conventional treatments for long-standing, extensive alopecia areata (AA) may be due to factors such as disease chronicity and inadequate response to available therapies, and the need for key updates in AA management guidelines, which have not been revised since 2003.

Panelists discuss the challenges of biologic access in hidradenitis suppurativa due to utilization management policies like step therapy, emphasizing the need for patient education, strategic planning, and leveraging resources—including clinical trials—to improve timely treatment and outcomes.

Panelists discuss the anticipated 2026 updates to the American Academy of Dermatology guidelines for hidradenitis suppurativa, highlighting efforts to unify treatment protocols, support biologic access, and accommodate emerging therapies within a rapidly evolving therapeutic landscape.

Panelists discuss how adverse events associated with conventional therapies for alopecia areata (AA) are monitored through regular patient assessments, and how these events are managed by adjusting treatment or providing supportive care as needed.

Panelists discuss how adherence to conventional therapies for alopecia areata (AA) can be challenging, with adverse effects often impacting patient compliance, and how the most common cause of nonadherence is the lack of visible improvement or perceived efficacy.

Panelists discuss the critical importance of early biologic therapy initiation in hidradenitis suppurativa to prevent irreversible tissue damage, reduce disease burden, and overcome socioeconomic and systemic barriers that delay timely treatment and worsen patient outcomes.

Panelists discuss the challenges and evolving landscape of step therapy protocols in hidradenitis suppurativa treatment, emphasizing the impact on patient adherence, the potential benefits of earlier biologic use, and the need for advocacy to improve access and outcomes.

Panelists discuss how key factors such as disease severity, patient preference, and payer requirements influence the choice of initial therapy for alopecia areata (AA), highlighting which drug classes have the highest and lowest success rates.

Panelists discuss how the decision to treat vs observe alopecia areata (AA) depends on factors such as disease severity, patient symptoms, and the use of scoring systems to guide treatment decisions.

Panelists discuss how upcoming ASCO presentations will focus on long-term CAR T-cell therapy outcomes showing potential cure plateaus, minimal residual disease (MRD)–guided treatment escalation/de-escalation strategies, tri-specific antibodies, and the economic value of using MRD negativity to guide maintenance therapy discontinuation decisions.

Panelists discuss key factors influencing biologic selection for hidradenitis suppurativa, including efficacy, safety, comorbidities, and insurance challenges, highlighting the importance of a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to optimize treatment and navigate practical barriers.

Panelists discuss the timely initiation of biologic therapy in moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa, emphasizing individualized treatment decisions based on disease impact and quality of life, alongside the potential for improved outcomes and cost-effectiveness through early, aggressive management.

Panelists discuss how managing alopecia areata (AA) involves multiple health care specialties, including dermatology and mental health, and how multidisciplinary care can be optimized, while also addressing strategies to alleviate financial barriers that patients may face in accessing treatment.

Panelists discuss how alopecia areata (AA) is included in the differential diagnosis for hair loss conditions and how a definitive diagnosis is made through clinical evaluation and, when necessary, additional diagnostic tests.

Panelists discuss how recent updates from the phase 3 IsKia trial demonstrate that isatuximab combined with carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone improves minimal residual disease negativity rates by approximately 10% at both the 10–5 and 10–6 levels, particularly benefiting high-risk patients.

Panelists discuss how the PERSEUS trial’s subgroup analysis reinforced that sustained minimal residual disease negativity predicts better long-term outcomes and demonstrated the potential for treatment de-escalation at the 2-year mark, while other trials like Advance showed dramatic increases in MRD negativity rates with quadruplet therapy.

Panelists discuss the importance of coordinated, personalized treatment strategies for hidradenitis suppurativa, highlighting early use of pharmacologic therapies—including biologics—and ongoing assessment to balance clinical effectiveness, patient quality of life, and financial considerations.

Panelists discuss the future of NF1-associated plexiform neurofibromas management, highlighting the potential for advances in targeted therapies, gene therapies, and personalized medicine to offer more effective, tailored treatments, while emphasizing early detection, improved imaging, and a greater focus on quality of life through psychosocial support, pain management, and functional rehabilitation.

Panelists discuss optimizing hidradenitis suppurativa management through early intervention, personalized treatment based on disease severity, and multidisciplinary coordination led by dermatologists to improve patient outcomes and reduce disease burden.

Panelists discuss how ongoing or recurrent hair loss in patients with alopecia areata (AA) leads to significant psychological effects, impacting their mental health, and how different forms of AA may be harder for some patients to cope with, with strategies for managing these psychological challenges in clinical practice.

Panelists discuss how alopecia areata (AA) presents with hallmark symptoms such as sudden hair loss, and how the condition fluctuates over time, making it a relapsing or remitting inflammatory disease.

Panelists discuss how emerging evidence from first-line therapy trials continues to demonstrate the superiority of quadruplet over triplet regimens, with the CEPHEUS subgroup analysis confirming that even higher-risk and less-fit patients can benefit from 4-drug combinations while maintaining acceptable safety profiles.

Panelists discuss how quality of life (QOL) and treatment convenience should be balanced with maximal depth of response through personalized therapy approaches, emphasizing the importance of multidisciplinary care teams and the flexibility to adapt treatment regimens based on individual patient preferences and circumstances.

Panelists discuss the significant disparities in hidradenitis suppurativa diagnosis and care, emphasizing the impact of race, gender, geography, and socioeconomic status, and highlighting the need for culturally competent education, expanded access, and community engagement to promote earlier intervention and equitable outcomes.

Panelists discuss the mechanisms of action of gene therapy for NF1-associated plexiform neurofibromas, focusing on restoring functional neurofibromin to regulate the RAS/MAPK pathway and prevent tumor formation, while highlighting promising early clinical trial results showing reduced tumor volume and improved symptoms, alongside the need for further studies to assess long-term safety and efficacy.

Panelists discuss the vital role of multidisciplinary collaboration, provider education, and technology integration in improving early diagnosis and comprehensive management of hidradenitis suppurativa, highlighting how coordinated efforts across specialties—including pharmacists—can reduce delays, enhance equity, and optimize patient outcomes.

Panelists discuss how the epidemiology of alopecia areata (AA) varies across different patient populations, with certain forms of the disease being more prevalent in specific groups.

Panelists discuss how newer immune-based therapies and bispecific antibodies may enable fixed-duration treatment approaches that could eliminate the need for stem cell transplant in older but fit patients, potentially allowing for treatment-free intervals after achieving deep responses.

Panelists discuss how to balance achieving deeper MRD-negative responses against increased toxicity risks in transplant-ineligible patients by personalizing therapy through dose modifications, weekly vs twice-weekly dosing schedules, and careful monitoring while maintaining treatment intensity similar to clinical trials.