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On-site coverage of CHEST 2018
CHEST Physician reporting staff will provide on-site coverage of CHEST 2018, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, held in San Antonio, Tex., Oct. 6 through Oct. 10. They are planning to report on a wide variety of sessions covering the latest research on treating COPD, sleep medicine, pulmonary hypertension, asthma, and other pulmonary disease. Panels, plenaries, original research presentations, and late-breaking studies will all be covered in depth. Stories will be posted daily during the meeting on the CHEST Physician website. They will also be talking to presenters and discussants about their work, so be sure to watch for video interviews, which also will be published daily.
Among the sessions on the coverage calendar are the following:
The Impact of Obesity on Pulmonary Disorders. Sunday, Oct. 7, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., Convention Center 207B
GAMES: Games Augmenting Medical Education. Sunday, Oct. 7, 10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., Convention Center 207B
Current Trends and Controversies in the Practice of Sleep Medicine. Monday, Oct. 8, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., Convention Center 214A
Futility? Responding to Nonbeneficial Treatment Requests. Monday, Oct. 8, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Convention Center 212A
Update on Diagnosis and Management of Diffuse Cystic Lung Disease. Tuesday, Oct. 9, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., Convention Center 214A
Lung Cancer Screening: News Questions and New Answers. Tuesday, Oct. 9, 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., Convention Center 207A
Check here on the CHEST Physician website for the latest news from CHEST 2018!
CHEST Physician reporting staff will provide on-site coverage of CHEST 2018, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, held in San Antonio, Tex., Oct. 6 through Oct. 10. They are planning to report on a wide variety of sessions covering the latest research on treating COPD, sleep medicine, pulmonary hypertension, asthma, and other pulmonary disease. Panels, plenaries, original research presentations, and late-breaking studies will all be covered in depth. Stories will be posted daily during the meeting on the CHEST Physician website. They will also be talking to presenters and discussants about their work, so be sure to watch for video interviews, which also will be published daily.
Among the sessions on the coverage calendar are the following:
The Impact of Obesity on Pulmonary Disorders. Sunday, Oct. 7, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., Convention Center 207B
GAMES: Games Augmenting Medical Education. Sunday, Oct. 7, 10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., Convention Center 207B
Current Trends and Controversies in the Practice of Sleep Medicine. Monday, Oct. 8, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., Convention Center 214A
Futility? Responding to Nonbeneficial Treatment Requests. Monday, Oct. 8, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Convention Center 212A
Update on Diagnosis and Management of Diffuse Cystic Lung Disease. Tuesday, Oct. 9, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., Convention Center 214A
Lung Cancer Screening: News Questions and New Answers. Tuesday, Oct. 9, 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., Convention Center 207A
Check here on the CHEST Physician website for the latest news from CHEST 2018!
CHEST Physician reporting staff will provide on-site coverage of CHEST 2018, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, held in San Antonio, Tex., Oct. 6 through Oct. 10. They are planning to report on a wide variety of sessions covering the latest research on treating COPD, sleep medicine, pulmonary hypertension, asthma, and other pulmonary disease. Panels, plenaries, original research presentations, and late-breaking studies will all be covered in depth. Stories will be posted daily during the meeting on the CHEST Physician website. They will also be talking to presenters and discussants about their work, so be sure to watch for video interviews, which also will be published daily.
Among the sessions on the coverage calendar are the following:
The Impact of Obesity on Pulmonary Disorders. Sunday, Oct. 7, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., Convention Center 207B
GAMES: Games Augmenting Medical Education. Sunday, Oct. 7, 10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., Convention Center 207B
Current Trends and Controversies in the Practice of Sleep Medicine. Monday, Oct. 8, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., Convention Center 214A
Futility? Responding to Nonbeneficial Treatment Requests. Monday, Oct. 8, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Convention Center 212A
Update on Diagnosis and Management of Diffuse Cystic Lung Disease. Tuesday, Oct. 9, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., Convention Center 214A
Lung Cancer Screening: News Questions and New Answers. Tuesday, Oct. 9, 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., Convention Center 207A
Check here on the CHEST Physician website for the latest news from CHEST 2018!
AGA Research Foundation researcher of the month: David L. Boone, PhD
AGA Research Foundation pilot awards are an invaluable tool for investigators – they provide seed funding to explore promising new lines of research and generate preliminary data for larger grants. So, when David L. Boone, PhD, received the 2017 AGA-Pfizer Young Investigator Pilot Research Award in Inflammatory Bowel Disease from the AGA Research Foundation, he was able to double-down on a very targeted project studying innate immunity in IBD. Based on his recent accomplishments – both in and out of the lab – we’re excited for you to get to know Dr. Boone, associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Indiana University School of Medicine-South Bend, and our AGA Research Foundation researcher of the month.
Bench to bedside: working toward new treatment options in IBD
The Boone lab AGA-funded project is specifically focused on JAK inhibitors, which are becoming a more popular treatment option for patients with IBD, especially for those patients who don’t respond to anti-TNF therapy. Dr. Boone is committed to enhancing our understanding of how these JAK inhibitors work at a cellular level. If we can understand this, Dr. Boone is optimistic it will lead to new approaches for treating inflammation in IBD.
With his AGA Research Foundation grant, Dr. Boone and his lab characterized a new robust mouse model of colitis that is entirely driven by innate immune mechanisms. With this model, his team is investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive innate immune-mediated inflammation in the intestine, which will provide important insights for future IBD drug development. You can read the specifics of Dr. Boone’s research in his recently published work in Mucosal Immunology.
Pilot award provides a stepping stone
Dr. Boone’s AGA Research Foundation pilot grant has paved the way for future success. Using the data from his AGA-funded project, as well as the constructive feedback he received from the AGA awards panel, Dr. Boone went on to successfully obtain new funding in the form of a Pfizer ASPIRE research grant. This work is building the foundation for Dr. Boone’s next big grant venture: an NIH R01 grant.
Two postdocs, a graduate student, a technician, and a dog named Boone
Dr. Boone shared with us that the best outcome from his AGA grant was that the additional funding made it possible to grow his lab by a postdoctoral researcher and lab technician. One of Dr. Boone’s great passions is training the next generation of scientists, both in the lab and through his role as a microbiology and immunology professor for first-year medical students at Indiana University Medical School.
Beyond the lab – a commitment to IBD patients
Dr. Boone wanted to do more to support patients with IBD. He had heard of Camp Oasis – the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation regional camp for patients with IBD – and knew of physicians who provided medical services at the camp. After looking into making a donation to Camp Oasis Michigan, Dr. Boone learned that what the camp really needed was male counselors. So, despite being “older than an average camp counselor,” Dr. Boone packed his bags for Michigan. Participating in Camp Oasis the last 2 years has been a great joy for Dr. Boone and provides added inspiration and motivation for his work in the lab.
The AGA Research Foundation is proud to fund researchers who are committed to improving the lives of patients – both in and out of the lab. You can help keep great researchers in GI by making a gift to the AGA Research Foundation, www.gastro.org/foundation.
AGA Research Foundation pilot awards are an invaluable tool for investigators – they provide seed funding to explore promising new lines of research and generate preliminary data for larger grants. So, when David L. Boone, PhD, received the 2017 AGA-Pfizer Young Investigator Pilot Research Award in Inflammatory Bowel Disease from the AGA Research Foundation, he was able to double-down on a very targeted project studying innate immunity in IBD. Based on his recent accomplishments – both in and out of the lab – we’re excited for you to get to know Dr. Boone, associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Indiana University School of Medicine-South Bend, and our AGA Research Foundation researcher of the month.
Bench to bedside: working toward new treatment options in IBD
The Boone lab AGA-funded project is specifically focused on JAK inhibitors, which are becoming a more popular treatment option for patients with IBD, especially for those patients who don’t respond to anti-TNF therapy. Dr. Boone is committed to enhancing our understanding of how these JAK inhibitors work at a cellular level. If we can understand this, Dr. Boone is optimistic it will lead to new approaches for treating inflammation in IBD.
With his AGA Research Foundation grant, Dr. Boone and his lab characterized a new robust mouse model of colitis that is entirely driven by innate immune mechanisms. With this model, his team is investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive innate immune-mediated inflammation in the intestine, which will provide important insights for future IBD drug development. You can read the specifics of Dr. Boone’s research in his recently published work in Mucosal Immunology.
Pilot award provides a stepping stone
Dr. Boone’s AGA Research Foundation pilot grant has paved the way for future success. Using the data from his AGA-funded project, as well as the constructive feedback he received from the AGA awards panel, Dr. Boone went on to successfully obtain new funding in the form of a Pfizer ASPIRE research grant. This work is building the foundation for Dr. Boone’s next big grant venture: an NIH R01 grant.
Two postdocs, a graduate student, a technician, and a dog named Boone
Dr. Boone shared with us that the best outcome from his AGA grant was that the additional funding made it possible to grow his lab by a postdoctoral researcher and lab technician. One of Dr. Boone’s great passions is training the next generation of scientists, both in the lab and through his role as a microbiology and immunology professor for first-year medical students at Indiana University Medical School.
Beyond the lab – a commitment to IBD patients
Dr. Boone wanted to do more to support patients with IBD. He had heard of Camp Oasis – the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation regional camp for patients with IBD – and knew of physicians who provided medical services at the camp. After looking into making a donation to Camp Oasis Michigan, Dr. Boone learned that what the camp really needed was male counselors. So, despite being “older than an average camp counselor,” Dr. Boone packed his bags for Michigan. Participating in Camp Oasis the last 2 years has been a great joy for Dr. Boone and provides added inspiration and motivation for his work in the lab.
The AGA Research Foundation is proud to fund researchers who are committed to improving the lives of patients – both in and out of the lab. You can help keep great researchers in GI by making a gift to the AGA Research Foundation, www.gastro.org/foundation.
AGA Research Foundation pilot awards are an invaluable tool for investigators – they provide seed funding to explore promising new lines of research and generate preliminary data for larger grants. So, when David L. Boone, PhD, received the 2017 AGA-Pfizer Young Investigator Pilot Research Award in Inflammatory Bowel Disease from the AGA Research Foundation, he was able to double-down on a very targeted project studying innate immunity in IBD. Based on his recent accomplishments – both in and out of the lab – we’re excited for you to get to know Dr. Boone, associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Indiana University School of Medicine-South Bend, and our AGA Research Foundation researcher of the month.
Bench to bedside: working toward new treatment options in IBD
The Boone lab AGA-funded project is specifically focused on JAK inhibitors, which are becoming a more popular treatment option for patients with IBD, especially for those patients who don’t respond to anti-TNF therapy. Dr. Boone is committed to enhancing our understanding of how these JAK inhibitors work at a cellular level. If we can understand this, Dr. Boone is optimistic it will lead to new approaches for treating inflammation in IBD.
With his AGA Research Foundation grant, Dr. Boone and his lab characterized a new robust mouse model of colitis that is entirely driven by innate immune mechanisms. With this model, his team is investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive innate immune-mediated inflammation in the intestine, which will provide important insights for future IBD drug development. You can read the specifics of Dr. Boone’s research in his recently published work in Mucosal Immunology.
Pilot award provides a stepping stone
Dr. Boone’s AGA Research Foundation pilot grant has paved the way for future success. Using the data from his AGA-funded project, as well as the constructive feedback he received from the AGA awards panel, Dr. Boone went on to successfully obtain new funding in the form of a Pfizer ASPIRE research grant. This work is building the foundation for Dr. Boone’s next big grant venture: an NIH R01 grant.
Two postdocs, a graduate student, a technician, and a dog named Boone
Dr. Boone shared with us that the best outcome from his AGA grant was that the additional funding made it possible to grow his lab by a postdoctoral researcher and lab technician. One of Dr. Boone’s great passions is training the next generation of scientists, both in the lab and through his role as a microbiology and immunology professor for first-year medical students at Indiana University Medical School.
Beyond the lab – a commitment to IBD patients
Dr. Boone wanted to do more to support patients with IBD. He had heard of Camp Oasis – the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation regional camp for patients with IBD – and knew of physicians who provided medical services at the camp. After looking into making a donation to Camp Oasis Michigan, Dr. Boone learned that what the camp really needed was male counselors. So, despite being “older than an average camp counselor,” Dr. Boone packed his bags for Michigan. Participating in Camp Oasis the last 2 years has been a great joy for Dr. Boone and provides added inspiration and motivation for his work in the lab.
The AGA Research Foundation is proud to fund researchers who are committed to improving the lives of patients – both in and out of the lab. You can help keep great researchers in GI by making a gift to the AGA Research Foundation, www.gastro.org/foundation.
Mayo Clinic announces new president and CEO: Gianrico Farrugia, MD
The Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees has announced that Gianrico Farrugia, MD, vice president and CEO of Mayo Clinic Florida, will take over as president and CEO of Mayo Clinic at the end of the year. AGA congratulates Dr. Farrugia on this accomplishment.
Here’s three reasons why AGA is excited by this news:
1. Dr. Farrugia is an accomplished GI investigator. Dr. Farrugia runs an NIH-funded translational laboratory focused on disorders of GI motility. The aim of Dr. Farrugia’s work is to understand at a cellular, subcellular and molecular level how the normal functions of the GI tract determine the defects that result in diseases such as diabetic gastroparesis, slow transit constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which will ultimately lead to new strategies to treat these diseases by developing targeted disease-modifying agents.
2. Dr. Farrugia is an alumnus of the AGA Research Foundation Research Scholar Award program. Dr. Farrugia received his Research Scholar Award in 1994 for his project titled “Jejunal Smooth Muscle Ion Channel Regulation in Health and Disease.”
3. Dr. Farrugia has given back to AGA both with his time – serving on the AGA Nominating Committee, AGA Institute Council, and Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology editorial board – and by contributing, with his wife Geraldine Farrugia, to the AGA Research Foundation at the highest level as an AGA Legacy Society member.
Join AGA members in congratulating Dr. Farrugia in the AGA Community, community.gastro.org.
The Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees has announced that Gianrico Farrugia, MD, vice president and CEO of Mayo Clinic Florida, will take over as president and CEO of Mayo Clinic at the end of the year. AGA congratulates Dr. Farrugia on this accomplishment.
Here’s three reasons why AGA is excited by this news:
1. Dr. Farrugia is an accomplished GI investigator. Dr. Farrugia runs an NIH-funded translational laboratory focused on disorders of GI motility. The aim of Dr. Farrugia’s work is to understand at a cellular, subcellular and molecular level how the normal functions of the GI tract determine the defects that result in diseases such as diabetic gastroparesis, slow transit constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which will ultimately lead to new strategies to treat these diseases by developing targeted disease-modifying agents.
2. Dr. Farrugia is an alumnus of the AGA Research Foundation Research Scholar Award program. Dr. Farrugia received his Research Scholar Award in 1994 for his project titled “Jejunal Smooth Muscle Ion Channel Regulation in Health and Disease.”
3. Dr. Farrugia has given back to AGA both with his time – serving on the AGA Nominating Committee, AGA Institute Council, and Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology editorial board – and by contributing, with his wife Geraldine Farrugia, to the AGA Research Foundation at the highest level as an AGA Legacy Society member.
Join AGA members in congratulating Dr. Farrugia in the AGA Community, community.gastro.org.
The Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees has announced that Gianrico Farrugia, MD, vice president and CEO of Mayo Clinic Florida, will take over as president and CEO of Mayo Clinic at the end of the year. AGA congratulates Dr. Farrugia on this accomplishment.
Here’s three reasons why AGA is excited by this news:
1. Dr. Farrugia is an accomplished GI investigator. Dr. Farrugia runs an NIH-funded translational laboratory focused on disorders of GI motility. The aim of Dr. Farrugia’s work is to understand at a cellular, subcellular and molecular level how the normal functions of the GI tract determine the defects that result in diseases such as diabetic gastroparesis, slow transit constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which will ultimately lead to new strategies to treat these diseases by developing targeted disease-modifying agents.
2. Dr. Farrugia is an alumnus of the AGA Research Foundation Research Scholar Award program. Dr. Farrugia received his Research Scholar Award in 1994 for his project titled “Jejunal Smooth Muscle Ion Channel Regulation in Health and Disease.”
3. Dr. Farrugia has given back to AGA both with his time – serving on the AGA Nominating Committee, AGA Institute Council, and Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology editorial board – and by contributing, with his wife Geraldine Farrugia, to the AGA Research Foundation at the highest level as an AGA Legacy Society member.
Join AGA members in congratulating Dr. Farrugia in the AGA Community, community.gastro.org.
Rising microbiome investigator: Ting-Chin David Shen, MD, PhD
We spoke with Dr. Shen, instructor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the recipient of the AGA Research Foundation’s 2016 Microbiome Junior Investigator Award, to learn about his passion for gut microbiome research.
How would you sum up your research in one sentence?
My research examines the metabolic interactions between the gut microbiota and the mammalian host, with a particular emphasis on amino acid metabolism and nitrogen flux via the bacterial enzyme urease.
What impact do you hope your research will have on patients?
My hope is that by better understanding the biological mechanisms by which the gut microbiota impacts host metabolism, we can modulate its effects to treat a variety of conditions and diseases including hepatic encephalopathy, inborn errors of metabolism, obesity, malnutrition, etc.
What inspired you to focus your research career on the gut microbiome?
My clinical experience as a gastroenterologist inspired my interest in metabolic and nutritional research. When I learned of the impact that the gut microbiota has on host metabolism, it created an entirely different perspective for me in terms of thinking about how to treat metabolic and nutritional disorders. There are tremendous opportunities in modifying our gut microbiota in concert with dietary interventions in order to modulate our metabolism.
What recent publication from your lab best represents your work, if anyone wants to learn more?
The following work examined how the use of a defined bacterial consortium without urease activity can reduce colonic ammonia level upon inoculation into the gut and ameliorate morbidity and mortality in a murine model of liver disease: Shen T.D., Albenberg L.A., Bittinger K., et al, Engineering the gut microbiota to treat hyperammonemia. J Clin Invest. 2015 Jul 1;125(7):2841-50. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4563680/.
We spoke with Dr. Shen, instructor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the recipient of the AGA Research Foundation’s 2016 Microbiome Junior Investigator Award, to learn about his passion for gut microbiome research.
How would you sum up your research in one sentence?
My research examines the metabolic interactions between the gut microbiota and the mammalian host, with a particular emphasis on amino acid metabolism and nitrogen flux via the bacterial enzyme urease.
What impact do you hope your research will have on patients?
My hope is that by better understanding the biological mechanisms by which the gut microbiota impacts host metabolism, we can modulate its effects to treat a variety of conditions and diseases including hepatic encephalopathy, inborn errors of metabolism, obesity, malnutrition, etc.
What inspired you to focus your research career on the gut microbiome?
My clinical experience as a gastroenterologist inspired my interest in metabolic and nutritional research. When I learned of the impact that the gut microbiota has on host metabolism, it created an entirely different perspective for me in terms of thinking about how to treat metabolic and nutritional disorders. There are tremendous opportunities in modifying our gut microbiota in concert with dietary interventions in order to modulate our metabolism.
What recent publication from your lab best represents your work, if anyone wants to learn more?
The following work examined how the use of a defined bacterial consortium without urease activity can reduce colonic ammonia level upon inoculation into the gut and ameliorate morbidity and mortality in a murine model of liver disease: Shen T.D., Albenberg L.A., Bittinger K., et al, Engineering the gut microbiota to treat hyperammonemia. J Clin Invest. 2015 Jul 1;125(7):2841-50. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4563680/.
We spoke with Dr. Shen, instructor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the recipient of the AGA Research Foundation’s 2016 Microbiome Junior Investigator Award, to learn about his passion for gut microbiome research.
How would you sum up your research in one sentence?
My research examines the metabolic interactions between the gut microbiota and the mammalian host, with a particular emphasis on amino acid metabolism and nitrogen flux via the bacterial enzyme urease.
What impact do you hope your research will have on patients?
My hope is that by better understanding the biological mechanisms by which the gut microbiota impacts host metabolism, we can modulate its effects to treat a variety of conditions and diseases including hepatic encephalopathy, inborn errors of metabolism, obesity, malnutrition, etc.
What inspired you to focus your research career on the gut microbiome?
My clinical experience as a gastroenterologist inspired my interest in metabolic and nutritional research. When I learned of the impact that the gut microbiota has on host metabolism, it created an entirely different perspective for me in terms of thinking about how to treat metabolic and nutritional disorders. There are tremendous opportunities in modifying our gut microbiota in concert with dietary interventions in order to modulate our metabolism.
What recent publication from your lab best represents your work, if anyone wants to learn more?
The following work examined how the use of a defined bacterial consortium without urease activity can reduce colonic ammonia level upon inoculation into the gut and ameliorate morbidity and mortality in a murine model of liver disease: Shen T.D., Albenberg L.A., Bittinger K., et al, Engineering the gut microbiota to treat hyperammonemia. J Clin Invest. 2015 Jul 1;125(7):2841-50. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4563680/.
AGA comments on HHS’ drug affordability blueprint
AGA’s new drug affordability principles were put into action in July when AGA Chair Sheila Crowe, MD, AGAF, provided comments on the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) recent policy statement and Request for Information, “HHS Blueprint to Lower Drug Prices and Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs” (Blueprint). Comments were limited to four areas of the Blueprint.
Medicare Part B to Part D drug transition
Over the past decade there has been interest in consolidating Part B and Part D drug coverage and payment. AGA urges physician-administered drugs and biologics to remain under Part B due to the complexities surrounding them.
Since Part D does not allow for supplemental coverage and has higher coinsurance, this action would achieve savings by shifting costs to Medicare beneficiaries. Moving them to Part D would also increase the risk of waste leading to unnecessary Medicare spending. AGA urges the administration to avoid policy solutions that achieve Medicare program savings at the expense of Medicare beneficiaries.
Indication-based payments
The Blueprint seems to imply that off-label uses of prescription drugs are inherently less valuable than on-label uses. If the administration moves towards value-based pricing, off-label indications should not automatically be valued less, or priced lower, than on-label indications. Specifically, AGA urges the administration to ensure all medically accepted indications are appropriately valued for a drug or biologic.
Medicare Part B Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP)
AGA does not oppose the idea of a new, voluntary CAP program as it would allow interested physicians and practices to provide Part B drug administration without the burden of high acquisition costs.
AGA strongly opposes a future Part B CAP that includes vendors or Medicare carriers conducting medical reviews or utilization management. Utilization management undermines shared decision-making between physicians and patients, increases physician burden, and often puts patients at risk by delaying access to necessary care.
Reduce patient out-of-pocket spending
As out-of-pocket costs continue to rise, AGA supports the administration’s plans to increase cost transparency in the Medicare program as it increases the efficiency of the shared decision-making process between patient and physician. Drug and biologic manufacturers, health plans, and pharmacy managers should work together to lower out-of-pocket expenses for Medicare beneficiaries and for all people with digestive diseases.
Although AGA shares the Blueprint’s goal of lowering the cost of prescription drugs, lowering out-of-pocket costs for patients, increasing competition and fostering innovation, we are concerned that the recent proposal by the Trump administration to allow Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to utilize step therapy would threaten the aforementioned goals. Step therapy is a utilization management tool used by insurers that requires patients to fail one or more medications before covering the original therapy that is prescribed by the physician. AGA is concerned that the recent announcement by the Trump administration would not provide patients with the necessary protections, would increase the regulatory burden that physicians already face with step therapy and prior authorization, and could hinder innovation by preferring the lowest cost medication which may not necessarily be the most effective. AGA will continue to push for necessary patient protections to ensure that patients have the ability to appeal step therapy protocols when appropriate and are able to receive the medication that their physician thinks is the most effective to manage their condition.
AGA’s new drug affordability principles were put into action in July when AGA Chair Sheila Crowe, MD, AGAF, provided comments on the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) recent policy statement and Request for Information, “HHS Blueprint to Lower Drug Prices and Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs” (Blueprint). Comments were limited to four areas of the Blueprint.
Medicare Part B to Part D drug transition
Over the past decade there has been interest in consolidating Part B and Part D drug coverage and payment. AGA urges physician-administered drugs and biologics to remain under Part B due to the complexities surrounding them.
Since Part D does not allow for supplemental coverage and has higher coinsurance, this action would achieve savings by shifting costs to Medicare beneficiaries. Moving them to Part D would also increase the risk of waste leading to unnecessary Medicare spending. AGA urges the administration to avoid policy solutions that achieve Medicare program savings at the expense of Medicare beneficiaries.
Indication-based payments
The Blueprint seems to imply that off-label uses of prescription drugs are inherently less valuable than on-label uses. If the administration moves towards value-based pricing, off-label indications should not automatically be valued less, or priced lower, than on-label indications. Specifically, AGA urges the administration to ensure all medically accepted indications are appropriately valued for a drug or biologic.
Medicare Part B Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP)
AGA does not oppose the idea of a new, voluntary CAP program as it would allow interested physicians and practices to provide Part B drug administration without the burden of high acquisition costs.
AGA strongly opposes a future Part B CAP that includes vendors or Medicare carriers conducting medical reviews or utilization management. Utilization management undermines shared decision-making between physicians and patients, increases physician burden, and often puts patients at risk by delaying access to necessary care.
Reduce patient out-of-pocket spending
As out-of-pocket costs continue to rise, AGA supports the administration’s plans to increase cost transparency in the Medicare program as it increases the efficiency of the shared decision-making process between patient and physician. Drug and biologic manufacturers, health plans, and pharmacy managers should work together to lower out-of-pocket expenses for Medicare beneficiaries and for all people with digestive diseases.
Although AGA shares the Blueprint’s goal of lowering the cost of prescription drugs, lowering out-of-pocket costs for patients, increasing competition and fostering innovation, we are concerned that the recent proposal by the Trump administration to allow Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to utilize step therapy would threaten the aforementioned goals. Step therapy is a utilization management tool used by insurers that requires patients to fail one or more medications before covering the original therapy that is prescribed by the physician. AGA is concerned that the recent announcement by the Trump administration would not provide patients with the necessary protections, would increase the regulatory burden that physicians already face with step therapy and prior authorization, and could hinder innovation by preferring the lowest cost medication which may not necessarily be the most effective. AGA will continue to push for necessary patient protections to ensure that patients have the ability to appeal step therapy protocols when appropriate and are able to receive the medication that their physician thinks is the most effective to manage their condition.
AGA’s new drug affordability principles were put into action in July when AGA Chair Sheila Crowe, MD, AGAF, provided comments on the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) recent policy statement and Request for Information, “HHS Blueprint to Lower Drug Prices and Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs” (Blueprint). Comments were limited to four areas of the Blueprint.
Medicare Part B to Part D drug transition
Over the past decade there has been interest in consolidating Part B and Part D drug coverage and payment. AGA urges physician-administered drugs and biologics to remain under Part B due to the complexities surrounding them.
Since Part D does not allow for supplemental coverage and has higher coinsurance, this action would achieve savings by shifting costs to Medicare beneficiaries. Moving them to Part D would also increase the risk of waste leading to unnecessary Medicare spending. AGA urges the administration to avoid policy solutions that achieve Medicare program savings at the expense of Medicare beneficiaries.
Indication-based payments
The Blueprint seems to imply that off-label uses of prescription drugs are inherently less valuable than on-label uses. If the administration moves towards value-based pricing, off-label indications should not automatically be valued less, or priced lower, than on-label indications. Specifically, AGA urges the administration to ensure all medically accepted indications are appropriately valued for a drug or biologic.
Medicare Part B Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP)
AGA does not oppose the idea of a new, voluntary CAP program as it would allow interested physicians and practices to provide Part B drug administration without the burden of high acquisition costs.
AGA strongly opposes a future Part B CAP that includes vendors or Medicare carriers conducting medical reviews or utilization management. Utilization management undermines shared decision-making between physicians and patients, increases physician burden, and often puts patients at risk by delaying access to necessary care.
Reduce patient out-of-pocket spending
As out-of-pocket costs continue to rise, AGA supports the administration’s plans to increase cost transparency in the Medicare program as it increases the efficiency of the shared decision-making process between patient and physician. Drug and biologic manufacturers, health plans, and pharmacy managers should work together to lower out-of-pocket expenses for Medicare beneficiaries and for all people with digestive diseases.
Although AGA shares the Blueprint’s goal of lowering the cost of prescription drugs, lowering out-of-pocket costs for patients, increasing competition and fostering innovation, we are concerned that the recent proposal by the Trump administration to allow Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to utilize step therapy would threaten the aforementioned goals. Step therapy is a utilization management tool used by insurers that requires patients to fail one or more medications before covering the original therapy that is prescribed by the physician. AGA is concerned that the recent announcement by the Trump administration would not provide patients with the necessary protections, would increase the regulatory burden that physicians already face with step therapy and prior authorization, and could hinder innovation by preferring the lowest cost medication which may not necessarily be the most effective. AGA will continue to push for necessary patient protections to ensure that patients have the ability to appeal step therapy protocols when appropriate and are able to receive the medication that their physician thinks is the most effective to manage their condition.
AGA Center for Gut Microbiome Research and Education scientific advisory board welcomes new members
Four leading experts in microbiome research have recently been appointed to the scientific advisory board of the AGA Center for Gut Microbiome Research and Education.
Robert A. Britton, PhD
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
Dr. Britton studies the role of microbes in health and diseases, with a focus on identifying microbes with therapeutic properties for a variety of disorders.
Suzanne Devkota, PhD
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
Dr. Devkota investigates the role of diet in shaping the community of bacteria that live in our intestines (the “gut microbiome”).
Lita M. Proctor, PhD
National Human Genome Research Institute, Rockville, Maryland
Dr. Proctor is responsible for coordination of the Human Microbiome Project (HMP), an eight-year NIH Common Fund initiative to create a toolbox of resources for the emerging field of microbiome research.
Liping Zhao, PhD
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
Dr. Zhao studies the interactions between diet and gut microbiota in the onset and progression of chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes.
AGA recognizes the outgoing members of the scientific advisory board who have made valuable contributions to the center’s work over their terms: Lee M. Kaplan, MD, PhD, AGAF, Zain Kassam, MD, MPH, and Ece Mutlu, MD, MBA, AGAF.
Four leading experts in microbiome research have recently been appointed to the scientific advisory board of the AGA Center for Gut Microbiome Research and Education.
Robert A. Britton, PhD
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
Dr. Britton studies the role of microbes in health and diseases, with a focus on identifying microbes with therapeutic properties for a variety of disorders.
Suzanne Devkota, PhD
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
Dr. Devkota investigates the role of diet in shaping the community of bacteria that live in our intestines (the “gut microbiome”).
Lita M. Proctor, PhD
National Human Genome Research Institute, Rockville, Maryland
Dr. Proctor is responsible for coordination of the Human Microbiome Project (HMP), an eight-year NIH Common Fund initiative to create a toolbox of resources for the emerging field of microbiome research.
Liping Zhao, PhD
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
Dr. Zhao studies the interactions between diet and gut microbiota in the onset and progression of chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes.
AGA recognizes the outgoing members of the scientific advisory board who have made valuable contributions to the center’s work over their terms: Lee M. Kaplan, MD, PhD, AGAF, Zain Kassam, MD, MPH, and Ece Mutlu, MD, MBA, AGAF.
Four leading experts in microbiome research have recently been appointed to the scientific advisory board of the AGA Center for Gut Microbiome Research and Education.
Robert A. Britton, PhD
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
Dr. Britton studies the role of microbes in health and diseases, with a focus on identifying microbes with therapeutic properties for a variety of disorders.
Suzanne Devkota, PhD
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
Dr. Devkota investigates the role of diet in shaping the community of bacteria that live in our intestines (the “gut microbiome”).
Lita M. Proctor, PhD
National Human Genome Research Institute, Rockville, Maryland
Dr. Proctor is responsible for coordination of the Human Microbiome Project (HMP), an eight-year NIH Common Fund initiative to create a toolbox of resources for the emerging field of microbiome research.
Liping Zhao, PhD
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
Dr. Zhao studies the interactions between diet and gut microbiota in the onset and progression of chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes.
AGA recognizes the outgoing members of the scientific advisory board who have made valuable contributions to the center’s work over their terms: Lee M. Kaplan, MD, PhD, AGAF, Zain Kassam, MD, MPH, and Ece Mutlu, MD, MBA, AGAF.
Senate approves $2 billion NIH increase
AGA applauds Congress for recognizing the need to sustain the momentum for NIH funding and to ensure that it has the purchasing power it needs to attract the best and brightest scientists to pursue careers in research.
The Senate approved the fiscal year (FY) 2019 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill that included a $2 billion increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This increase represents a 5.5% increase in NIH funding, on top of the 8.8% increase that NIH received as part of the Omnibus Appropriations bill for FY 2018. The funding also represents the largest increase in funding since the doubling period (FY 1999-FY 2003), and enabled NIH to support 1,149 additional research grants.
The $2 billion increase included in the Senate bill reflects the necessary funding that NIH needs to keep pace with medical research inflation. This increase will enable NIH to continue to fund innovative research, improve the quality of care for millions of Americans, and maintain U.S. global leadership in medical research. The House has recommended a $1.1 billion increase in NIH funding, but AGA will be pushing for the $2 billion increase. House and Senate leaders will be working to negotiate an agreement on funding.
AGA applauds Congress for recognizing the need to sustain the momentum for NIH funding and to ensure that it has the purchasing power it needs to attract the best and brightest scientists to pursue careers in research.
The Senate approved the fiscal year (FY) 2019 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill that included a $2 billion increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This increase represents a 5.5% increase in NIH funding, on top of the 8.8% increase that NIH received as part of the Omnibus Appropriations bill for FY 2018. The funding also represents the largest increase in funding since the doubling period (FY 1999-FY 2003), and enabled NIH to support 1,149 additional research grants.
The $2 billion increase included in the Senate bill reflects the necessary funding that NIH needs to keep pace with medical research inflation. This increase will enable NIH to continue to fund innovative research, improve the quality of care for millions of Americans, and maintain U.S. global leadership in medical research. The House has recommended a $1.1 billion increase in NIH funding, but AGA will be pushing for the $2 billion increase. House and Senate leaders will be working to negotiate an agreement on funding.
AGA applauds Congress for recognizing the need to sustain the momentum for NIH funding and to ensure that it has the purchasing power it needs to attract the best and brightest scientists to pursue careers in research.
The Senate approved the fiscal year (FY) 2019 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill that included a $2 billion increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This increase represents a 5.5% increase in NIH funding, on top of the 8.8% increase that NIH received as part of the Omnibus Appropriations bill for FY 2018. The funding also represents the largest increase in funding since the doubling period (FY 1999-FY 2003), and enabled NIH to support 1,149 additional research grants.
The $2 billion increase included in the Senate bill reflects the necessary funding that NIH needs to keep pace with medical research inflation. This increase will enable NIH to continue to fund innovative research, improve the quality of care for millions of Americans, and maintain U.S. global leadership in medical research. The House has recommended a $1.1 billion increase in NIH funding, but AGA will be pushing for the $2 billion increase. House and Senate leaders will be working to negotiate an agreement on funding.
Top patient cases
Physicians with difficult patient scenarios regularly bring their questions to the AGA Community to seek advice from fellow GIs on therapy and disease management options, best practices, and diagnoses.
In case you missed it, here are the most popular clinical cases shared in the forum recently:
1. Eosinophilic esophagitis and stricture
A tight stricture in the mid-esophagus of a 25-year-old patient prevented the physician from passing the scope on multiple occasions within 5 weeks.
2. Behcet’s
A 41-year-old patient with Behcet’s disease and celiac disease originally reported joint pain and diarrhea, which subsided after treatment with prednisone and sulfasalazine. Despite a limited diet and therapeutic levels of Humira, her symptoms resurfaced 6 months later with loose stools and urgency.
3. Ectopic varices with portal vein thrombosis
This case involves a 49-year-old male who developed necrotizing pancreatitis due to microlithiasis in 2008, followed by pyrexia with three pyogenic liver abscesses this past May. The attending physician solicited advice from the GI community on management of this patient’s portal hypertension.
4. Firefighters at higher CRC risk?
Join this informative discussion about a reported “1.21 times greater risk” for colorectal cancer in firefighters, and increased screening for this demographic.
More clinical cases and discussions are at https://community.gastro.org/discussions.
Physicians with difficult patient scenarios regularly bring their questions to the AGA Community to seek advice from fellow GIs on therapy and disease management options, best practices, and diagnoses.
In case you missed it, here are the most popular clinical cases shared in the forum recently:
1. Eosinophilic esophagitis and stricture
A tight stricture in the mid-esophagus of a 25-year-old patient prevented the physician from passing the scope on multiple occasions within 5 weeks.
2. Behcet’s
A 41-year-old patient with Behcet’s disease and celiac disease originally reported joint pain and diarrhea, which subsided after treatment with prednisone and sulfasalazine. Despite a limited diet and therapeutic levels of Humira, her symptoms resurfaced 6 months later with loose stools and urgency.
3. Ectopic varices with portal vein thrombosis
This case involves a 49-year-old male who developed necrotizing pancreatitis due to microlithiasis in 2008, followed by pyrexia with three pyogenic liver abscesses this past May. The attending physician solicited advice from the GI community on management of this patient’s portal hypertension.
4. Firefighters at higher CRC risk?
Join this informative discussion about a reported “1.21 times greater risk” for colorectal cancer in firefighters, and increased screening for this demographic.
More clinical cases and discussions are at https://community.gastro.org/discussions.
Physicians with difficult patient scenarios regularly bring their questions to the AGA Community to seek advice from fellow GIs on therapy and disease management options, best practices, and diagnoses.
In case you missed it, here are the most popular clinical cases shared in the forum recently:
1. Eosinophilic esophagitis and stricture
A tight stricture in the mid-esophagus of a 25-year-old patient prevented the physician from passing the scope on multiple occasions within 5 weeks.
2. Behcet’s
A 41-year-old patient with Behcet’s disease and celiac disease originally reported joint pain and diarrhea, which subsided after treatment with prednisone and sulfasalazine. Despite a limited diet and therapeutic levels of Humira, her symptoms resurfaced 6 months later with loose stools and urgency.
3. Ectopic varices with portal vein thrombosis
This case involves a 49-year-old male who developed necrotizing pancreatitis due to microlithiasis in 2008, followed by pyrexia with three pyogenic liver abscesses this past May. The attending physician solicited advice from the GI community on management of this patient’s portal hypertension.
4. Firefighters at higher CRC risk?
Join this informative discussion about a reported “1.21 times greater risk” for colorectal cancer in firefighters, and increased screening for this demographic.
More clinical cases and discussions are at https://community.gastro.org/discussions.
A Gift to the AGA Research Foundation in Your Will
A simple, flexible and versatile way to ensure the AGA Research Foundation can continue to help spark the scientific breakthroughs of today so clinicians will have the tools to improve care tomorrow is through a gift in your will or living trust, known as a charitable bequest.
To make a charitable bequest, you need a current will or living trust. Your gift can be made as a percentage of your estate. Or you can make a specific bequest by giving a certain amount of cash, securities or property. After your lifetime, the Foundation receives your gift.
Including the AGA Research Foundation in your will is a popular gift to give because it is:
• Affordable. The actual giving of your gift occurs after your lifetime, so your current income is not affected.
• Flexible. Until your will goes into effect, you are free to alter your plans or change your mind.
• Versatile. You can give a specific item, a set amount of money or a percentage of your estate. You can also make your gift contingent upon certain events.
We hope you’ll consider including a gift to the AGA Research Foundation in your will or liv-ing trust. It’s simple – just a few sentences in your will or trust are all that is needed. The official bequest language for the AGA Research Foundation is: “I, [name], of [city, state, ZIP], give, devise and bequeath to the AGA Research Foundation [written amount or per-centage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose.”
By including a gift to the AGA Research Foundation in your will, you can help fill the funding gap and protect the next generation of investigators.
For more information, visit http://gastro.planmylegacy.org/ or contact us at [email protected].
A simple, flexible and versatile way to ensure the AGA Research Foundation can continue to help spark the scientific breakthroughs of today so clinicians will have the tools to improve care tomorrow is through a gift in your will or living trust, known as a charitable bequest.
To make a charitable bequest, you need a current will or living trust. Your gift can be made as a percentage of your estate. Or you can make a specific bequest by giving a certain amount of cash, securities or property. After your lifetime, the Foundation receives your gift.
Including the AGA Research Foundation in your will is a popular gift to give because it is:
• Affordable. The actual giving of your gift occurs after your lifetime, so your current income is not affected.
• Flexible. Until your will goes into effect, you are free to alter your plans or change your mind.
• Versatile. You can give a specific item, a set amount of money or a percentage of your estate. You can also make your gift contingent upon certain events.
We hope you’ll consider including a gift to the AGA Research Foundation in your will or liv-ing trust. It’s simple – just a few sentences in your will or trust are all that is needed. The official bequest language for the AGA Research Foundation is: “I, [name], of [city, state, ZIP], give, devise and bequeath to the AGA Research Foundation [written amount or per-centage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose.”
By including a gift to the AGA Research Foundation in your will, you can help fill the funding gap and protect the next generation of investigators.
For more information, visit http://gastro.planmylegacy.org/ or contact us at [email protected].
A simple, flexible and versatile way to ensure the AGA Research Foundation can continue to help spark the scientific breakthroughs of today so clinicians will have the tools to improve care tomorrow is through a gift in your will or living trust, known as a charitable bequest.
To make a charitable bequest, you need a current will or living trust. Your gift can be made as a percentage of your estate. Or you can make a specific bequest by giving a certain amount of cash, securities or property. After your lifetime, the Foundation receives your gift.
Including the AGA Research Foundation in your will is a popular gift to give because it is:
• Affordable. The actual giving of your gift occurs after your lifetime, so your current income is not affected.
• Flexible. Until your will goes into effect, you are free to alter your plans or change your mind.
• Versatile. You can give a specific item, a set amount of money or a percentage of your estate. You can also make your gift contingent upon certain events.
We hope you’ll consider including a gift to the AGA Research Foundation in your will or liv-ing trust. It’s simple – just a few sentences in your will or trust are all that is needed. The official bequest language for the AGA Research Foundation is: “I, [name], of [city, state, ZIP], give, devise and bequeath to the AGA Research Foundation [written amount or per-centage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose.”
By including a gift to the AGA Research Foundation in your will, you can help fill the funding gap and protect the next generation of investigators.
For more information, visit http://gastro.planmylegacy.org/ or contact us at [email protected].
Register for October Coding Course
Learn to use the correct codes, use all the codes necessary and submit everything properly the first time at the SVS Coding and Reimbursement Workshop, Oct. 19 and 20 at the Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel in Chicago. These skills learned can help vascular surgeons avoid an audit, as correct coding lessens the risk for one. And an audit costs staff time and money no matter what the outcome. Book hotel rooms by Sept. 27 to receive the special room rate for participants.
Learn to use the correct codes, use all the codes necessary and submit everything properly the first time at the SVS Coding and Reimbursement Workshop, Oct. 19 and 20 at the Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel in Chicago. These skills learned can help vascular surgeons avoid an audit, as correct coding lessens the risk for one. And an audit costs staff time and money no matter what the outcome. Book hotel rooms by Sept. 27 to receive the special room rate for participants.
Learn to use the correct codes, use all the codes necessary and submit everything properly the first time at the SVS Coding and Reimbursement Workshop, Oct. 19 and 20 at the Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel in Chicago. These skills learned can help vascular surgeons avoid an audit, as correct coding lessens the risk for one. And an audit costs staff time and money no matter what the outcome. Book hotel rooms by Sept. 27 to receive the special room rate for participants.