Overcoming Access Barriers to RA Treatment: The “How-to”

Faculty

Stanley B. Cohen, MD
Clinical Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
Co-Director, Division of Rheumatology
Presbyterian Hospital
Co-Medical Director, Metroplex Clinical Research Center
Dallas, Texas

Dr. Stanley B. Cohen is a clinical professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and is in private practice at Rheumatology Associates in Dallas, Texas. He is Director of the Rheumatology Division at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital and Co-Medical Director of Metroplex Clinical Research Center, both in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Cohen received his bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Medicine. Dr. Cohen completed his fellowship at the St. Paul Medical Center/Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas.

Dr. Cohen received the Howard C. Coggeshall Lifetime Achievement Service Award from the North Texas Arthritis Foundation in 2006 for longtime support of the Foundation and its programs. Author or coauthor of numerous articles and scientific papers and medical books on rheumatic diseases, he lectures on the research and treatment of arthritis and glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis and serves as advisor to major pharmaceutical companies. He is a past president of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the ACR Rheumatology Research Foundation.

Madelaine A. Feldman, MD, FACR
President, Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations
Chair, Alliance for Safe Biologic Medicines
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Tulane University School of Medicine
The Rheumatology Group
New Orleans, Louisiana

Dr. Madelaine Feldman is a rheumatologist in private practice with The Rheumatology Group in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is President of the Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations, Chair of the Alliance for Safe Biologic Medicines, and past member of the American College of Rheumatology insurance subcommittee.

A Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana, she has testified before the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health regarding transparency in drug pricing and the drug supply chain (specifically pharmacy benefit managers [PBMs), and several state legislative committees on PBMs and transparency.

Dr. Feldman received the Distinguished Service Award from Tulane Medical School and was named one of the Top Women in New Orleans by City Business in 2017.

Vibeke Strand, MD, MACR, FACP
Adjunct Clinical Professor
Division of Immunology and Rheumatology
Stanford University School of Medicine
Biopharmaceutical Consultant
Palo Alto, California

Dr. Vibeke Strand serves as a consultant in clinical research and regulatory affairs to pharmaceutical and biotech companies. She has been a clinical rheumatologist for 35 years in subspecialty practice in San Francisco, California, and a clinical investigator and senior director of clinical research at 3 pharmaceutical/biotech companies. Adjunct Clinical Professor at Stanford University, she has consulted regarding translation of basic research into rational design of randomized controlled trials, analysis of their results, and presentation of novel products for approval to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency. An invited member of FDA Arthritis Advisory Committee meetings discussing Guidance Documents, she has assisted in preparation of briefing documents, analyses, and data presentation for defense of New Drug and Biologics License Applications in RA and many other rheumatological diseases and the first and subsequent monoclonal antibody biosimilars.

Dr. Strand established and cochaired the biennial “Innovative Therapies in Autoimmune Disease” meetings cosponsored by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), National Institutes of Health, and FDA. A founding member of the Executive Committee of the international OMERACT [Outcome Measures in Rheumatology] consensus conferences and of GRAPPA [Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis], she has served on the ACR RA Clinical Trials Task Force, ACR Board of Directors, Medical and Scientific Committee of the Northern California Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation, Board of Directors of Corrona, and Scientific Advisory Board and Board of Advisors for ACTTION [Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations, Innovations, Opportunities, and Networks]. Author of over 400 original publications, she is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, Master of the American College of Rheumatology, and member of the Cosmos Club and its Substitute Board of Managers.

Educational Objectives

After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:

• Employ strategies to assist patients in overcoming access barriers to effective RA therapies

Target Audience

The educational design of this activity addresses the needs of rheumatologists and rheumatology specialist nurse practitioners and physician assistants, with the overall goal of improving the care of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Program Overview

Research surrounding the targeted inhibition of intracellular tyrosine kinases that play a pivotal role in mediating proinflammatory responses and aberrant signaling pathways in RA has led to the development of the highly successful class of Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors. However, as second-generation compounds become available, offering the potential for greater selectivity and improved safety profiles, important questions centering on their advantages, limitations, appropriate use, and implementation within the RA treatment algorithm remain. Further, lack of access to this class of agents persists as a common barrier to their appropriate use. In this multichannel, multiformat educational series—available in web, mobile, and downloadable/printable formats—3 expert rheumatologists will discuss the latest clinical trial evidence and current updates to national and international RA treatment recommendations specific to JAK inhibitor therapies. Additionally, experts will provide their unique perspectives on the translation of this evidence into best practices, offering insights into individualized patient management plans and actionable strategies for overcoming common barriers to RA care—all of which can be immediately implemented into same-day practice.

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 Global Education Group (Global) and Integritas Communications. Global is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Physician Credit Designation

Global Education Group designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nursing Continuing Education

Global Education Group is accredited with distinction as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

This educational activity for 0.25 contact hours is provided by Global Education Group. Nurses should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Term of Offering

This activity was released on September 24, 2020 and is valid for 1 year. Requests for credit must be made no later than September 24, 2021.

Global Contact Information

For information about the accreditation of this program, please contact Global at 303-395-1782 or cme@globaleducationgroup.com.

Instructions to Receive Credit

In order to receive credit for this activity, the participant must read the learning objectives, complete the pretest, review the activity, score at least 70% the posttest, and complete the evaluation form.

System Requirements

PC
Microsoft Windows 2000 SE or above.
Flash Player Plugin (v7.0.1.9 or greater)
Internet Explorer (v5.5 or greater), or Firefox
Adobe Acrobat Reader*

MAC
MAC OS 10.2.8
Flash Player Plugin (v7.0.1.9 or greater)
Safari
Adobe Acrobat Reader*
Internet Explorer is not supported on the Macintosh.

Fee Information

There is no fee for this educational activity.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Global Education Group (Global) requires instructors, planners, managers, and other individuals and their spouses/life partners who are in a position to control the content of this activity to disclose any real or apparent conflict of interest they may have as related to the content of this activity. All identified conflicts of interest are thoroughly vetted by Global for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies mentioned in the materials or used as the basis for content, and appropriateness of patient care recommendations.

The faculty reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouses/life partners have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:

Stanley B. Cohen, MD: Grants/Research Support: AbbVie Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Genentech, Inc., Gilead Sciences, Inc., Pfizer Inc., Honoraria: Genentech, Inc., Gilead Sciences, Inc., Pfizer Inc.

Madelaine A. Feldman, MD, FACR: Consultant/Independent Contractor: Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Gilead Sciences, Inc. Speakers Bureau: Eli Lilly and Company Stock Shareholder: Celgene Corporation

Vibeke Strand, MD, MACR, FACR: Consultant/Independent Contractor: AbbVie Inc., Amgen Inc., Asana BioSciences LLC, AstraZeneca plc, Bayer AG, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Celgene Corporation, Celltrion Healthcare Co., Ltd., Corrona, LLC, Crescendo Bioscience, Inc./Myriad Genetics, Inc., EMD Serono, Inc., Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals Inc., Flexion Therapeutics Inc., Genentech Inc./Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, Horizon Therapeutics plc, Inmedix, Inc., Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Kezar Life Sciences, Inc., Kypha Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Pfizer Inc., Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Royalty Pharma, RRD International, Samsung Biologics, Samumed, LLC., Sandoz Inc., sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC, Selecta Biosciences, Inc., Servier Laboratories, SetPoint Medical Corporation, SKK, UCB S.A.

The planners and managers reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouses/life partners have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:

Ashley Marostica, RN, MSN: Nothing to disclose
Lindsay Borvansky: Nothing to disclose
Andrea Funk: Nothing to disclose
Liddy Knight: Nothing to disclose
Ashley Cann: Nothing to disclose
Celeste Collazo, MD: Nothing to disclose
Jim Kappler, PhD: Nothing to disclose

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. Global Education Group (Global) and Integritas Communications 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 any organization associated with this activity. 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 in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of patient conditions and possible contraindications on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.