Clinical

Top coverage from the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress 2024 spanned various topics, including artificial intelligence–powered robots transforming respiratory care and late-breaking findings on an epilepsy drug showing promise for treating obstructive sleep apnea.

In part 2 of our interview, Cesar Davila-Chapa, MD, discusses key findings, limitations, and future research directions from his study on racial disparities in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) outcomes.

While race-aware models showed superior statistical calibration across racial and ethnic groups, their benefits in clinical decision-making were less pronounced than expected.

Gene therapy partially restores visual processing in the geniculostriate pathway of patients with Leber congenital amaurosis type 2 while maintaining compensatory activity in the retinotectal pathway.

The panelist discusses how Rebyota is an FDA-approved microbiome therapeutic that delivers standardized, purified intestinal microbiota through enema administration to restore gut microbial diversity and prevent recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection, differing from conventional fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in its regulatory status, standardized manufacturing process, and enhanced safety profile due to extensive screening and purification of donor material.

The panelist discusses how fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) involves transferring stool from healthy donors to restore gut microbiota in patients with recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection, though safety concerns include potential pathogen transmission and careful donor screening requirements, while OpenBiome’s standardized frozen FMT preparations have helped advance accessibility but should be used according to current FDA guidance for investigational use.

The 6-year mandatory Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model aims to boost kidney transplants and address disparities by incentivizing hospitals, enhancing care coordination, and measuring transplant outcome performance.

Meaningful change thresholds for the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) are: −11/+11 for symptom burden, −16/+16 for physical condition/fatigue, and −16/+13 for worries/fears.

Investigators were seeking clarification on optimal sequencing of the immune checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab following treatment failure and disease progression after receipt of nivolumab and pembrolizumab.

COVID-19 vaccination significantly reduced anxiety and depression in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), improving their mental health one month after the first dose.

The findings show that increases in serum glial fibrillary acidic protein throughout B-cell depletion therapy are associated with disability worsening despite not relapsing—known as progression independent of relapse activity.

A decade after the discovery of CALR, the results are the first for a possible therapy for CALR-mutated MPNs to reach the clinic.

November is Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month. Diabetes is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the US. Here is a look at recent research related to diabetic eye diseases.

The European Commission has approved mirvetuximab soravtansine for select patients with pretreated folate receptor–alpha (FRα)-positive, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

Investigators said patients experienced adverse effects in line with those expected for myeloablative conditioning with busulfan following treatment with betibeglogene autotemcel (beti-cel; Zynteglo; bluebird bio).

The single-center report showed the therapy had a favorable safety profile and manageable side effects in children with relapsed or refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

A study in Japan found that antifibrotic treatment rates for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) varied by medical facility, with higher treatment rates observed in referral hospitals than in general hospitals or clinics.

An analysis of challenges and strategies for integrating HER2-directed therapies into decision-making for NSCLC, with a focus on timely updates, collaborative efforts among stakeholders, and balancing equitable access with cost management.

An overview of challenges in transitioning from IV to oral medications and guidance on identifying NSCLC patient populations most likely to benefit from HER2-directed therapies through informed patient selection strategies.

A review of recent clinical trial results for emerging HER2-directed therapies, including SOHO-01, inetetamab/pyrotinib, and BEAMION Lung-01, and their potential impact on the future treatment landscape for HER2-positive NSCLC.

An exploration of emerging strategies to overcome resistance to HER2-directed therapies based on ongoing research advancements.

Dr Heymach real-world outcomes versus clinical trials for HER2-positive NSCLC and the management of common adverse events associated with HER2-directed therapies.

Paul Feuerstadt, MD, FACG, AGAF, discusses how testing for Clostridioides difficile is recommended for hospitalized patients or outpatients with new-onset, unexplained diarrhea who have risk factors such as recent antibiotic use, hospitalization, or older age, and how empiric treatment should be initiated while awaiting test results if there is high clinical suspension.

The panelist discusses how antibiotics are paradoxically both the primary treatment for Clostridioides difficile infections and a major risk factor for recurrence since they disrupt the protective gut microbiome, which led to the development of alternative therapies like fecal microbiota transplantation to restore microbial balance and prevent reinfection.

For some patients with myasthenia gravis (MG), activity and sleep were associated with reported fatigue and symptom levels.

Social isolation significantly increases the risk of mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), highlighting the need for targeted interventions to address this issue.

Patients with locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who achieve a complete response after locoregional therapy and immunotherapy may be able to follow a watch-and-wait protocol.

Despite challenges such as high attrition rates and adverse events, the trial highlights the value of established therapies in improving outcomes, particularly in regions with limited access to chimeric antigen receptor T cells and bispecific antibodies.

If approved, the combination regimen would be the first FDA-approved treatment for adults with recurrent KRAS mutant low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC).

This multiyear follow-up of more than 3300 patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (R/R CLL) who received ibrutinib—the longest study of its kind—confirms the agent’s efficacy as a salvage treatment but reveals new information about its impact in different subpopulations with varying clinical characteristics.