43+ min ago (344+ words) Pretransplant NPM1 MRD testing significantly predicts relapse risk in acute myeloid leukemia. Disease relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) remains the leading cause of treatment failure for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but measurable residual disease (MRD) testing after first complete remission can be a powerful predictor of relapse, according to an analysis published in Bone Marrow Transplantation.1 Of the patients who had successful NPM1 NGS MRD testing, 26% relapsed and 34% died after receiving alloHCT. Pretransplant MRD positivity for the NPM1 mutation was associated with a significantly increased rate of relapse and decreased overall survival (OS) compared with those who tested negative. The 3-year relapse rate was 52% for MRD-positive patients vs 20% for MRD-negative patients (HR, 4.3; P" "Some of this risk could be mitigated by conditioning regimen, with higher intensity regimens being associated with decreased relapse and improved survival in'NPM1'MRD positive patients,…...

1+ day, 9+ hour ago (748+ words) Patients achieve a high 2-year survival and deep MRD-negative remissions with CAR T-cell therapy followed by stem cell transplant in B-cell ALL. This article originally appeared on OncLive. Use of a sequential "sandwich" strategy using CD22/CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy followed by autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) resulted in deep and durable remissions in patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)negative B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) who were unable to undergo or declined allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT), according to findings from a phase 2 single-center study (NCT05470777).1 Findings published in Cancer demonstrated that at a median follow-up of 28 months (range, 10-50), evaluable patients (n = 37) achieved a median overall survival (OS) and leukemia-free survival (LFS) that had not yet been reached. The 2-year OS rate was 97% (95% CI, 90%-100%), and the 2-year LFS rate was 72% (95% CI, 58%-90%). MRD clearance deepened throughout treatment. Following…...

1+ day, 9+ hour ago (502+ words) In an interview with The American Journal of Managed Care" (AJMC"), Mike Camacho, president of SLTCM, identifies 5 key strategies that ACOs can utilize to improve care and achieve meaningful savings, and what they may look like in practice. Data-driven support and analytics are central to ACO success, providing the foundation for timely, informed decision-making across complex patient populations, according to Camacho. For ACOs serving long-term care patients, who are often older and clinically more complex than typical community-based populations, aggregating data from multiple, disparate electronic medical records is essential. "We're highlighting the data; we're not solving for it, [but] we're giving that information to both the primary care provider [and] the facility to act on appropriate utilization, spend, and those sorts of things," said Camacho. "The data is extremely powerful." Care coordination is a critical driver of ACO success, particularly…...

1+ day, 9+ hour ago (538+ words) The TAM receptor family, which includes Tyro3, Axl, and MerTK receptors, has potential as a new therapeutic target for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) therapies, according to a new review published in Cell & Bioscience.1 TAM receptors are broadly expressed throughout the body and seen as important regulators of immune homeostasis and inflammatory resolution, the authors explained. Previous research has shown that mice with a TAM deficiency experienced spontaneous chronic inflammation and autoimmune phenomena, which the authors said may be clinical precursors to RA.2 In humans, the investigators noted that TAM receptors serve as a key inhibitory feedback mechanism.1 Activation of TAM receptors, meanwhile, helps restore tissue integrity, in part by suppressing innate immune cell activation, enhancing AC clearance, and promoting tissue repair. However, the authors said the different TAM receptors have different roles to play in RA. Axl and MerTK have been shown…...

2+ day, 7+ hour ago (263+ words) AI, especially deep learning applied to blood smear imaging, can greatly improve the speed and accuracy of leukemia detection and subtype classification. Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping the landscape of leukemia diagnosis, offering new possibilities for earlier detection, more precise classification, and improved patient care, according to a new review.1 This current review synthesized more than 25,000 scientific articles, using a PRISMA-guided approach to analyze both global epidemiological patterns and the application of AI technologies in diagnosing the 4 major leukemia types: acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Several studies highlighted in the review demonstrate notable accuracy. Models using transfer learning with pre-trained networks like AlexNet achieved up to 100% correct classification in controlled datasets, while hybrid systems combining CNN-based feature extraction with machine learning classifiers such as support vector machines (SVMs) reached…...

2+ day, 18+ hour ago (502+ words) In an interview with The American Journal of Managed Care" (AJMC"), Mike Camacho, president of SLTCM, identifies 5 key strategies that ACOs can utilize to improve care and achieve meaningful savings, and what they may look like in practice. Data-driven support and analytics are central to ACO success, providing the foundation for timely, informed decision-making across complex patient populations, according to Camacho. For ACOs serving long-term care patients, who are often older and clinically more complex than typical community-based populations, aggregating data from multiple, disparate electronic medical records is essential. "We're highlighting the data; we're not solving for it, [but] we're giving that information to both the primary care provider [and] the facility to act on appropriate utilization, spend, and those sorts of things," said Camacho. "The data is extremely powerful." Care coordination is a critical driver of ACO success, particularly…...

3+ day, 7+ min ago (175+ words) In idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF), early diagnosis is key to initiating therapy and slowing progression for patients with these incurable conditions. Toby Maher, MD, PhD, professor of clinical medicine and director of Interstitial Lung Disease at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, discussed the current standard of care in IPF and PPF and areas of unmet need in an interview with The American Journal of Managed Care" (AJMC"). This transcript has been lightly edited. AJMC: What is the current standard of care in IPF, and where do the most significant clinical gaps and areas of high unmet need remain? What about PPF? AJMC: From a clinical perspective, what are the critical steps and criteria for recognizing PPF, and what challenges inhibit early diagnosis? To what extent are early diagnosis and…...

3+ day, 9+ min ago (321+ words) Pigment epithelial detachment and hyperreflective foci had better early control in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) when treated with faricimab. Patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) who had not been treated previously were found to have better control of pigment epithelial detachment (PED), subretinal hyperreflective material (SHRM), and hyperreflective foci (HRF) when using faricimab vs aflibercept.1 Change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was the primary outcome of the study, with measurements coming at baseline and after 1, 2, 3, and 4 months. Central macular thickness (CMT) and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) acted as the secondary outcomes. There were 38 patients with nAMD or PCV who were included in the study who received faricimab. These patients were matched with patients who had received aflibercept. No significant differences in demographics were found between the 2 groups, and baseline visual acuity was comparable. The faricimab…...

3+ day, 9+ min ago (267+ words) In progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF), nerandomilast is a promising second option, with only nintedanib previously approved for the condition. In this interview, Maher discusses each therapy's mechanism of action and how the FIBRONEER-IPF (NCT05321069) and FIBRONEER-ILD (NCT05321082) trials support the use of nerandomilast in IPF and PPF. This transcript has been lightly edited. AJMC: Nerandomilast is the first preferential PDE4B inhibitor for IPF. Can you explain how this mechanism differs from historic standard-of-care therapies? AJMC: How should clinicians interpret the key efficacy and safety end points in the FIBRONEER-IPF trial in the context of previous landmark studies for IPF? AJMC: For a newly diagnosed patient, how do you see nerandomilast fitting into the current treatment paradigm? Maher: For a newly diagnosed patient, they now have a choice of 3 drugs, and whilst there might not be anything to separate them on efficacy, I do…...

3+ day, 9+ hour ago (464+ words) RSV vaccines protect adults 60 years and older against illness, but effectiveness declines over 2 seasons, especially in those who are immunocompromised. Veterans aged 60 years and older who received a single dose of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prefusion F3 (RSVPreF3) or RSV prefusion F (RSVpreF) vaccine remained protected against illness across 2 respiratory illness seasons, though protection declined over time, according to a study published today in JAMA Internal Medicine.1 While clinical trials demonstrated moderate to high efficacy of RSV vaccines against RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease over a single season, data on the durability of protection across multiple seasons in real-world populations and key subgroups remain limited. The researchers emphasized the need for evidence from routine clinical practice to fill this gap. To address this, they conducted an observational study evaluating the effectiveness of a single RSVPreF3 or RSVpreF dose in preventing documented RSV…...