Biologic Therapy in the Management of Psoriasis: A Perspective for Managed Markets

Jointly sponsored by Medical Education Collaborative (MEC) and Princeton CME

Purpose Statement

This activity is designed to provide the latest available data on the treatment of psoriasis in the United States and strategies to improve the treatment of the disease.

Target Audience

This activity is designed for managed markets physicians and pharmacists, including medical directors, pharmacy directors, formulary directors, and consultant pharmacists.

Learning Objectives

After completing this activity, participants should be able to:

Describe the clinical and cost burden of psoriasis and the impact of moderate-to-severe disease on quality of life and healthcare resource use
Discuss therapeutic efficacy measures to ensure effective management of moderate-to-severe psoriasis
Outline the benefits and limitations of biologic therapies, including dosing regimens, routes of administration, and adverse effect profiles

Credit Eligibility

To be eligible for documentation of credit, participants must participate in the full educational activity, complete the 10-question post-test with a score of 70% or better, and complete the evaluation form. Participants who successfully complete the post-test and evaluation form online may immediately print their documentation of credit.

Participants who have successfully completed the live version of this activity are not eligible to receive credit for this enduring material.

Release Date: December 21, 2007
Expiration Date: January 11, 2008

Estimated time to complete: 1 hour

There is no fee associated with this activity.

Lecture Components

The presentation slides, post-test, and evaluation form are available as a click through via the menu at the top of each page of this educational activity.

This activity is made available online and in print.

CME Accreditation

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint sponsorship of Medical Education Collaborative, Inc. (MEC) and Princeton CME. MEC is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Medical Education Collaborative designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

For questions regarding the ACCME accreditation of this activity, please contact Medical Education Collaborative at 866-420-3252.

CPE Accreditation
Princeton CME is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education (ACPE Provider #452) and complies with the Criteria for Quality and Interpretive Guidelines. This activity is approved for 1 contact hour (0.1 CEU) of continuing pharmacy education (UPN 452-999-07-034-H01).

Any participant wanting to file a grievance with respect to any aspect of a continuing pharmacy education activity sponsored or cosponsored by Princeton CME may contact the Assistant Director of Continuing Education in writing. The Assistant Director of Education will review the grievance and respond within 30 days of receiving the written statement. If the participant is unsatisfied with the response, an appeal to the Director of Continuing Education may be made for a second level of review.

Grant Support

Supported by an educational grant from Abbott Laboratories

Presenters

Faculty

Joel M. Gelfand, MD, MSCE
Medical Director, Clinical Studies Unit
Assistant Professor of Dermatology
Associate Scholar, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Lindsay S. Ackerman, MD
Clinical Instructor Tulane Dermatology
Medical-Dermatology Fellow Tulane Dermatology
New Orleans, Louisiana

Independent Clinical Reviewer

Daniel J. Pearce, MD
Chief Resident Dermatology
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Winston Salem, North Carolina

Financial Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

According to the disclosure policy of MEC and Princeton CME, faculty, editors, managers, and other individuals who are in a position to control content are required to disclose any relevant financial relationships with relevant commercial companies related to this activity. All relevant conflicts of interest that are identified are reviewed for potential conflicts of interest. If a conflict is identified, it is the responsibility of MEC and Princeton CME to initiate a mechanism to resolve the conflict(s). The existence of these interests or relationships is not viewed as implying bias or decreasing the value of the presentation.

All educational materials are viewed for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies reported, and levels of evidence.

Medical Education Collaborative adheres to ACCME’s Essential Areas and Policies, including the Standards for Commercial Support regarding industry support of continuing medical education In order to resolve any identified conflicts of interest, disclosure information is provided during the planning process to ensure resolution of any identified conflicts. Disclosure of faculty and commercial relationships, as well as the discussion of unlabeled or unapproved use of any drug, device, or procedure by the faculty, are made known below.

The faculty has reported the following:

Dr. Ackerman has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Dr. Gelfand: Consultant—Amgen, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Genentech, Inc., Centocor; Research Grants—Amgen, Inc., Centocor, Astellas Pharma, Inc., Incyte Corporation.

Dr. Pearce: Speaker—HealthTalk; Consultant—HealthTalk; Editor—UpToDate; Author—Expert Review Dermatology – Future Drugs.

Planning committee employees of MEC, the accredited provider of this activity; Randy Robbin and John Savage, Princeton CME; Rosemary Hodgson and William Kormos, Princeton Media Communications have disclosed that they have no significant financial relationships.

MEC and Princeton CME require faculty to inform participants whenever off-label/unapproved uses of drugs or devices are discussed in their presentations.

The faculty has disclosed that the use of adalimumab for treatment of psoriasis will be discussed.