Expert Updates on Diagnosing and Managing Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis

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Release Date: February 3, 2020
Expiration Date: February 3, 2021

PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Because EGPA is a rare condition, it is not always considered when evaluating patients with vasculitis. The lack of established EGPA diagnostic criteria has also contributed to diagnostic delays. Even after proper diagnosis, there is little guidance on how to individualize EGPA treatment plans as part of a multidisciplinary team. As such, clinicians may not yet be aware of the latest advances in EGPA care, including the first agent approved to treat EGPA.

This activity, Expert Updates on Diagnosing and Managing Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis, will help participating clinicians close these identified gaps and improve the diagnosis and management of EGPA as part of the interdisciplinary care team necessary to appropriately treat these patients.

TARGET AUDIENCE
The intended audience for this educational initiative includes primary care clinicians, pulmonologists, and rheumatologists, as these clinicians have the highest likelihood of encountering patients with EGPA.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES                                            
This program is designed to address the following NAM competencies: provide patient-centered care and employ evidence-based practice.
                                                                                           
At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to:
  • Identify the signs, symptoms, and laboratory results that indicate a diagnosis of EGPA
  • Create a personalized treatment regimen for patients with EGPA using clinical characteristics and laboratory studies
  • Recognize signs and symptoms of disease relapse in patients being treated for EGPA
  • Reinforce the need for a multidisciplinary team to address varied disease symptoms

PHYSICIAN ACCREDITATION STATEMENT
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Boston University School of Medicine and Rockpointe. Boston University School of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

PHYSICIAN CREDIT DESIGNATION
Boston University School of Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

For information about the accreditation of this program, please email: cme@bu.edu.

ABIM MOC DESIGNATION STATEMENT
 Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables   the participant to earn up to 1.00 Medical Knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

To receive CME credit and/or MOC points, you MUST pass the post-test and complete the evaluation. For ABIM MOC points, your information will be shared with the ABIM through BUSM’s ACCME Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS). Please allow 6-8 weeks for your MOC points to appear on your ABIM records.

STEERING COMMITTEE

 Praveen Akuthota, MD
 Associate Professor of Medicine
 University of California-San Diego
 San Diego, CA



Praveen Akuthota, MD is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at the University of California-San Diego. Dr. Akuthota’s research efforts range from basic scientific investigations of human eosinophil biology and eosinophilic inflammation to clinical and translational efforts in asthma and eosinophilic pulmonary disease. He is the corresponding Principal Investigator for the UCSD Clinical Center in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s PrecISE Network that will be studying precision interventions in severe asthma. He is a co-investigator on a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showing the efficacy of anti-IL-5 therapy in the treatment of the eosinophilic disease EGPA (Churg-Strauss syndrome). His research group is involved in other multicenter studies in eosinophilic disease and asthma.

Basic science investigations from Dr. Akuthota focus on ex vivo studies of human eosinophils and include published work studying eosinophil trafficking and studying microparticle release by eosinophils. He has written several reviews and chapters discussing eosinophil immunobiology and clinical considerations in eosinophilic diseases. Dr. Akuthota is an At-Large Member of the Board of Directors of the International Eosinophil Society (www.eosinophil-society.org).

 
 Michael Wechsler, MD
 Professor of Medicine
 Director, NJH Cohen Family Asthma Institute
 Department of Medicine
 National Jewish Health
 Denver, CO

Michael Wechsler, MD is Director of the National Jewish Health (NJH)/Cohen Family Asthma Institute and Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at NJH in Denver, CO. His research focuses on clinical and translational asthma with an emphasis on clinical trials in asthma, novel asthma therapies, bronchial thermoplasty, asthma pharmacogenomics, and management of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (i.e. Churg-Strauss Syndrome [CSS]). He has led several studies focusing on novel biologic agents for asthma and related diseases, and has published more than 180 peer-reviewed manuscripts relating to asthma, CSS and eosinophilic lung diseases.

Dr. Wechsler was a member of the Steering Committee and site Principal Investigator (PI) for the NIH-sponsored Asthma Clinical Research Network (ACRN, now called AsthmaNet), a multi-center asthma clinical-trials consortium. He serves as the PI of the Denver site of the Precision Intervention in Severe/Exacerbating Asthma (PRECISE) network. A member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation, Dr. Wechsler has participated in many different task forces related to the study of eosinophilic lung diseases that were sponsored by the NIH, the FDA, the European Respiratory Society, and the International Eosinophil Society. He is currently Associate Editor of the journal Chest and has served as Associate Editor of Allergy and on the editorial board of the European Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Dr. Wechsler received AB and MMSc degrees from Harvard University in Boston and his medical doctorate from McGill University in Montreal. He completed medical training at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, and as part of the Harvard Combined Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship Training Program.

DISCLOSURES OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
This educational activity has been produced in adherence with the policies and guidelines, including the Standards for Commercial Support, set forth to providers by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and all other professional organizations, as applicable, stating those activities where continuing education credits are awarded must be balanced, independent, objective, and scientifically rigorous.

Boston University School of Medicine asks all individuals, and their spouses/partners, involved in the development and presentation of Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) activities to disclose all relevant financial relationships with commercial interests. This information is disclosed to CME activity participants prior to the start of the educational activity. Boston University School of Medicine has procedures to resolve all conflicts of interest. In addition, faculty members are asked to disclose when any unapproved use of pharmaceuticals and devices is being discussed.

Steering Committee

The steering committee reported the following relevant financial relationships that they or their spouse/partner have with commercial interests:

Praveen Akuthota, MD: Consultant: AstraZeneca; Research: AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline

Michael Wechsler, MD: Consultant/Research: AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Teva

Chan Kim, MD, BUSM Course Director: Nothing to disclose

Non-faculty Disclosures

Non-faculty content contributors and/or reviewers reported the following relevant financial relationships that they or their spouse/partner have with commercial interests:

Terry Ann Glauser, MD, MPH; Nicolle Rochino, PharmD; Blair St. Amand; Natalie Sanfratello, MPH; Elizabeth Drury: Nothing to disclose.

DISCLAIMER
THIS CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM IS INTENDED SOLELY FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES FOR QUALIFIED HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS. IN NO EVENT SHALL BOSTONUNIVERSITY BE LIABLE FOR ANY DECISION MADE OR ACTION TAKEN IN RELIANCE ON THEINFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE PROGRAM. IN NO EVENT SHOULD THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE PROGRAM BE USED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL CARE. NO PHYSICIAN-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP IS BEING ESTABLISHED.

FDA DISCLOSURE 
The contents of some CME/CE activities may contain discussions of non-approved or off-label uses of some agents mentioned. Please consult the prescribing information for full disclosure of approved uses.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
In order to view this presentation, your computer must have audio capabilities (working speakers or headphones) and must have an internet browser capable of playing an HTML5 video.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PARTICIPANTS AND OBTAINING CME CREDIT
There is no fee for this activity. To receive credit, participants must take the pre-test, view this CME activity in its entirety, and then complete the post-test, with a score of 70% or better, and evaluation. The estimated time for completion of this activity is 1 hour. To receive their certificates, participants must demonstrate mastery of the presented material via the post-test.  Participant is allowed to take the post-test multiple times.

PROVIDER
Jointly provided by Boston University School of Medicine and Rockpointe

   

SUPPORTER
This educational activity is supported by an educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline.