What Can Biomarkers Tell Us? Modern Tools to Assist Navigating Prognosis, Monitoring, and Therapeutic Decision-Making in the Long-Term Management of Multiple Sclerosis
Overview
This symposium, originally held in conjunction with the 2022 Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) Annual Meeting, is designed to elucidate the perspectives of noted experts on existing and rising indicators of MS prognosis and/or disease activity (e.g., serum biomarkers, lesion topography). During the program, invited faculty advocate for their preferred biomarkers and/or clinical indicators and why they may represent the future of successful disease management. By gaining understanding of exactly how and why these factors should (or should not) be considered, clinicians may better navigate and optimize available tools and strategies for their own patients with MS.
Target Audience
The target audience for this activity includes neurodegenerative disease specialists, general neurologists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses, and other healthcare professionals involved in the diagnosis and long-term management of patients with MS.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the educational activity, participants should be able to:
- Assess the relative roles of existing predictors/indicators of disease progression to guide the prioritization of these factors in proactive assessment of patient changes.
- Appraise the utility of clinical and radiologic assessments of disease progression to select the most sensitive and clinically appropriate monitoring tools that will not disrupt current workflow.
- Analyze the influence of prognostic factors and clinical indicators on treatment initiation and switching strategies to optimize therapeutic decision-making and maximize patient outcomes.
Jiwon Oh, MD, PhD, FRCPC (Moderator and Chair)
Medical Director, Barlo MS Program
St. Michael’s Hospital
Scientist, Keenan Research Centre
Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute
Associate Professor of Medicine
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Amit Bar-Or, MD, FRCPC
Director, Center for Neuroinflammation and Neurotherapeutics
Chief, Multiple Sclerosis Division
Melissa and Paul Anderson President’s Distinguished Professor
Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine
Penn Medicine
Philadelphia, PA
Jennifer Graves MD, PhD
Neurologist
Associate Professor of Neurosciences
UC San Diego Health
San Diego, California
Robert Shin, MD
Director, Georgetown Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center
Professor, Department of Neurology
Georgetown University Medical Center
Washington, DC
Credit for this program has expired. The accreditation information below is based on the activity release date.
This activity is jointly provided by Medical Education Resources (MER) and Efficient LLC.
Accreditation Statement
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Medical Education Resources (MER) and Efficient, LLC. MER is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Designation Statement
Physician Credit
MER designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.50 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Nursing Credit
MER designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.5 ANCC nursing contact hours. Nurses will be awarded contact hours upon successful completion of the activity.
Disclosure of Conflict of Interest
Disclosures
MER insures balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all our educational activities. In accordance with this policy, MER identifies relevant financial relationships with its instructors, content managers, and other individuals who are in a position to control the content of an activity. Reported relevant financial relationships are mitigated by MER to ensure that all scientific research referred to, reported, or used in a CE activity conforms to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection, and analysis. MER is committed to providing learners with high-quality CE activities that promote improvements or quality in health care and not the business interest of an ineligible company.
Planners’ and Managers’ Disclosure
MER planners and managers have nothing to disclose. Efficient LLC planners and managers have nothing to disclose.
Faculty Disclosures
Dr Oh reported the following financial relationships:
- Consulting Fees: Alexion, Biogen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi-Genzyme
- Grants/Research Support: Biogen, EMD Serono, Roche
Dr Bar-Or reported the following financial relationships:
- Grants/Research Support: University of Pennsylvania, Biogen Idec, Genentech/Roche, Merck/EMD Serono; Novartis
- Consulting Fees: Accure, Atara Biotherapeutics, Biogen, BMS/Celgene/Receptos, GlaxoSmithKline, Gossamer, Janssen/Actelion, Medimmune, Merck/EMD Serono, Novartis, Genentech/Roche, Sanofi-Genzyme
Dr Graves reported the following financial relationships:
- Consulting Fees: Alexion, BMS, Genentech, Novartis
- Grants/Research Support: Biogen, EMD Serono
Dr Shin reported the following financial relationships:
- Consulting Fees: Biogen, Celgene, Genzyme, Novartis
- Speakers' Bureau: Alexion, EMD Serono, Genentech, Mallinckrodt
Disclosure of Unlabeled Use
This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. The planners of this activity do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications. The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of the planners. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.
Disclaimer
Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patient's conditions and possible contraindications and/or dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer's product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.
Commercial Support
This activity is supported by an educational grant from Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group.