Clinical

New treatments for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME) enhance patient care with gene therapies and new mechanisms of action on the horizon, explained Casey Koch, PharmD, from Select Health.

From a meeting that celebrates basic research and being "first," a look at 3 data sets on therapies that would break new ground.

Medicaid beneficiaries face higher rates of pulmonary hypertension, with significant economic burdens and racial disparities in prevalence and costs.

A panelist discusses how folate receptor alpha (FRα) expression testing plays a crucial role in determining eligibility for mirvetuximab soravtansine (an antibody-drug conjugate therapy), emphasizing the importance of comprehensive biomarker testing at diagnosis rather than piecemeal testing.

A panelist discusses how National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines have influenced molecular testing in ovarian cancer, highlighting the importance of biomarkers like BRCA genes for treatment decisions, prognostic information, and family prevention strategies.

Zongertinib shows promise for treating HER2-mutant non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with significant activity against brain metastases and low interstitial lung disease risk, explains John Heymach, MD, PhD.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to deliver personalized nutrition; however, there is a need for professional oversight, emphasized Julia Logan, BS.

John Heymach, MD, PhD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the promising results of zongertinib for HER2-mutated non–small cell lung cancer, showcasing high response rates and improved patient quality of life.

Panelists discuss how significant gaps in immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy patient care persist, including delayed diagnosis, limited access to nephrology expertise, inadequate disease monitoring, and insufficient psychosocial support throughout the disease journey.

Panelists discuss how current immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy treatments primarily target downstream inflammatory pathways of the 4-hit cascade, with emerging therapies now beginning to address specific upstream mechanisms including abnormal IgA1 production, autoantibody formation, and immune complex deposition.

A panelist discusses how the comprehensive ADVANCES safety monitoring system data presented at the 2025 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting (AAD 2025) revealed distinct infection risk profiles between Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors (upadacitinib/abrocitinib, n = 1686) and cytokine inhibitors (dupilumab/tralokinumab, n = 3352) in atopic dermatitis patients, with JAK inhibitors showing elevated relative risks for serious infections and Candida infections during the 180-day assessment period, potentially influencing treatment selection based on individual patient risk factors.

Julia Logan, BS, discusses the vital role of nutrition in cancer care, highlighting how artificial intelligence can enhance dietary recommendations for patients.

Ravindra Uppaluri, MD, PhD, lead investigator of the phase 3 KEYNOTE-689 trial (NCT03765918), highlights the need for a multidisciplinary approach to translate the study's findings into real-world care for patients with resectable head and neck cancer.

Ravindra Uppaluri, MD, PhD, lead investigator of the phase 3 KEYNOTE-689 trial (NCT03765918), highlights the potential of pembrolizumab (Keytruda; Merck) to improve outcomes following head and neck cancer treatment.

Panelists discuss how managing patients with mild cognitive impairment using amyloid-targeting therapies faces significant barriers including limited healthcare infrastructure for complex diagnostic testing and monitoring, insufficient insurance coverage and high out-of-pocket costs, challenges in patient selection and risk stratification, logistical hurdles of regular infusions and imaging, shortage of specialists in many regions, and the need for comprehensive patient education about realistic treatment expectations.

Panelists discuss how newer urinary tract infection (UTI) therapies such as pivmecillinam, sulopenem etzadroxil/probenecid, and gepotidacin demonstrate significantly lower resistance rates (below 5%) compared with traditional first-line antibiotics (10%-30% for trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole), with improved clinical and microbiological cure rates particularly for resistant pathogens, anticipating their integration into treatment algorithms as second-line options after nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin for patients with risk factors for resistance, prior treatment failures, recurrent infections, or confirmed resistant pathogens, although limited by higher costs and need for antimicrobial stewardship until more real-world effectiveness data become available.

Panelists discuss how sulopenem etzadroxil/probenecid, approved in October 2024, functions as an oral β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor effective against extended-spectrum β-lactamase producers per SURE 1 and REASSURE trial findings whereas gepotidacin works through a novel mechanism as a triazaacenaphthylene bacterial topoisomerase inhibitor targeting resistant pathogens via unique DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV binding sites, with EAGLE trial findings demonstrating noninferiority to nitrofurantoin with approximately 90% cure rates.

Panelists discuss how developing effective management protocols for amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) requires implementing robust baseline and follow-up MRI monitoring schedules, establishing clear symptom recognition guidelines, creating severity-based management algorithms, ensuring rapid radiological assessment capabilities, preparing standardized response plans for different presentations of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA), educating patients and caregivers on warning signs, and maintaining close multidisciplinary collaboration between neurologists, radiologists, and infusion staff.

A program cochair said the agenda was designed to get attendees "out of their comfort zone." The Amercian Association for Cancer Research annual meeting runs April 25-30, with the key presentations coming Sunday through Tuesday.

Emergency departments (ED) struggle to screen for social determinants of health, inhibiting quality care and impacting health disparities among vulnerable populations.

For patients with complex needs and social challenges like unstable housing, the hospital has become their de facto medical home—yet each visit is a fragmented restart, without continuity, context, or a clear path forward.

Christine Funke, MD, discusses how the treatment of glaucoma has evolved in her decade of experience.

Researchers consider the weight-adjusted waist index a more precise predictor of mortality risk in patients with osteoarthritis than traditional obesity measures, like body mass index.

Individuals who transition from overweight to obese during adulthood may face a higher ovarian cancer risk, highlighting the importance of tracking body fat changes.

Benjamin K. Chen, MD, PhD, discussed the next steps after the results of his study in genetic tagging showed promise in targeting HIV cells.

Panelists discuss how immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy treatment has evolved to include supportive care with optimized blood pressure control and renin-angiotensin system blockade as first-line therapy, with increasingly targeted immunomodulatory approaches for higher-risk patients showing persistent proteinuria.

A panelist discusses how real-world data presented at the 2025 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting (AAD 2025) demonstrates that initiating ruxolitinib cream therapy for atopic dermatitis (AD) significantly reduced patients’ reliance on other topical treatments, oral corticosteroids, and biologics in both biologic-experienced (n = 125) and biologic-naive (n = 431) populations, suggesting this Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor may serve as an effective steroid-sparing agent with potential for long-term disease management across different patient subgroups.

Panelists discuss how immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy significantly impacts patients’ quality of life through chronic symptoms, treatment burden, psychological effects, and the looming threat of progressive kidney function decline.

From Crohn disease to uncomplicated urinary tract infections and beyond, the FDA issued several high-impact drug approvals last month.

Panelists discuss how treatment continuation decisions for amyloid-targeting therapies involve comprehensive assessment of multiple factors including cognitive and functional changes measured through standardized tools, occurrence and severity of adverse events, treatment adherence capabilities, impact on patient/caregiver quality of life, disease progression rate, emerging safety signals, and ongoing dialogue about evolving treatment goals and expectations.