Daylong program to explore the state of asthma care at ACAAI conference

Key takeaways:

• Sessions will discuss diagnostics, pediatric care, severe asthma, individualized care and more.
• Speakers will investigate whether biologics live up to their trial results in the real world.

BOSTON — Physicians can take a deep dive into the current state of asthma care as the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology opens its 2024 conference on Thursday, Oct. 24, with a full day dedicated to diagnosis and treatment.

“As allergists/immunologists, we are at the forefront of advancing asthma care,” Kristin C. Sokol, MD, MPH, FAAAAI, FACAAI, vice chair of the ACAAI’s Annual Conference Planning Committee, told Healio.

Sokol, who will moderate the afternoon session in the Advancing Asthma Care program, noted significant breakthroughs in our understanding of the pathophysiology of asthma as well as advances in diagnostic tools in recent years.

“This has been accompanied by a surge in available biologic treatments,” she continued. “While we have long recognized that asthma exists on a spectrum, only recently have we begun to uncover the underlying mechanisms driving this variability.”

Sokol also attributed improvements in accurately assessing phenotypes to advances in diagnostic tools, enabling more personalized and precise treatment strategies.

“Now, practicing allergists are keen to refine their diagnostic and treatment approach, determining when to introduce biologics, identifying which patients will benefit most, and selecting the optimal biologic therapy for each individual patient,” she said.

Moderated by the conference’s program chair, Jay A. Lieberman, MD, FACAAI, the program’s first session is called “Diagnostics – We Can Do Better.” It will explore whether there are biomarkers that can predict exacerbations, how to best use fractional exhaled nitric oxide, and race-based adjustments in spirometry.

Jay A. Lieberman

“The identification of specific biomarkers in asthma patients will be crucial for improving diagnosis and tailoring individualized treatment plans,” Sokol said.

Also led by Lieberman, “Pediatric Asthma Treatment Programs” will tackle single maintenance and reliever therapy, or SMART, and biologics for younger patients, as well as optimization of strategies for community-based treatment.

“There are definitely many challenges in pediatric asthma,” Sokol said. “Diagnosing asthma in young children can be difficult due to overlap with other respiratory conditions like viral infections or allergies. Spirometry and other lung function tests can be hard to perform in very young patients.”

Additionally, she said, advances in diagnostic tools such as improved biomarkers, FeNO testing, and noninvasive monitoring could yield earlier and more precise diagnoses in children.

“Pediatric asthma can also vary greatly in severity, and it’s often difficult to predict which children will have more severe disease or exacerbations,” she said. “Personalized treatment approaches hopefully will allow physicians to better tailor therapy.”

Sokol further said that poorly controlled asthma is more common in underserved communities.

“Public health interventions to reduce environmental triggers, such as improving air quality and providing allergen-reducing interventions at home and school, could have a significant impact,” she said.

During the third session, Matthew A. Rank, MD, FACAAI, department chair of allergy, asthma and clinical immunology at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, will present “Early Looks from the Next Practice Parameter for Severe Asthma.”

“This parameter may provide important new evidence to inform clinical guidance on the optimal use of new and upcoming therapies for severe asthma,” Sokol said.

Sokol will moderate two of the three sessions scheduled for the afternoon, beginning with “Individualized Asthma Management,” discussing tailoring therapies to the individual, as well as apps, remote monitoring and telemedicine in asthma care. Also, Sokol noted that personalized treatment approaches offer advantages over “one size fits all” strategies.

Moderated by Sokol, “The Future of Asthma Pharmacotherapy” will discuss whether outcomes from clinical trials of biologic treatment are being seen in the real world, whether asthma remission is achievable and the current pipeline for therapeutics.

Finally, the program will close with a pair of debates.

Marcus S. Shaker, MD, MSc, FAAAAI, FACAAI, FAAP, professor of pediatrics and medicine, Geisel School of Medicine, will defend why biologics should be first-line therapies. ACAAI 2023-2024 president Gailen D. Marshall Jr., MD, PhD, FACAAI, will provide an opposing point of view.

The second debate will present a hypothetical situation where physicians can only use one diagnostic test from now on. Njira L. Lugogo, MD, asthma program director, division of pulmonary and critical care medicine, University of Michigan Health, will advocate for FeNO. William C. Anderson III, MD, FACAAI, associate professor, pediatrics-allergy/immunology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, will support spirometry.

“All of these speakers and discussions are going to be fantastic,” Sokol said. “I highly encourage anyone coming to Boston for the ACAAI to arrive in time for these talks.”

Reference:

• American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Registration Program. https://annualmeeting.acaai.org/2024/documents/ACAAI_RegistrationProgram2024_v9-FINAL.pdf. Accessed Oct. 17, 2024.

For more information:

Kristin C. Sokol, MD, MPH, FAAAAI, FACAAI, can be reached at kristincsokol@gmail.com.