‘We need leaders in the field to speak’: CCR East 2025 to offer key insights, recent data
In rheumatology, there is always more to learn — even when it comes to the most well-trod topics and commonly researched conditions.
For example, there is still much to more to understand, and refine, regarding the current treatment paradigms for rheumatoid arthritis.
“It is important now to determine which drug to use, and when, and in what order,” Pamela McLain, MD, FAAD, symposium coordinator at the Congress of Clinical Rheumatology, told Healio. “There are so many drugs available on the market now — from traditional DMARDs to biologics, Janus kinase inhibitors and biosimilars — that it is important to understand who is likely to respond to which drugs or combinations, and when to change when something is not working, and how certain medications will interact with one another.
“This is particularly important because many of these medications are so expensive, and insurance companies are going to try to dictate what your patient needs and when they need it,” she added. “They may tell you to wait, but there is more and more data showing that early intervention is critical in a condition like RA. This is why we need leaders in the field to speak, to give our attendees the most up to date information.”
This, according to its organizers, is the value of the Congress of Clinical Rheumatology East, where attendees can expect to hear a faculty with a deep “knowledge base” provide information that can immediately benefit patients.
CCR East is scheduled for May 1 to May 4, 2025, at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, in Miramar Beach, Fla. Current registration data show that the meeting is on pace to surpass 700 onsite registrations, with more than 100 more individuals planning to attend online. Attendees will have ample opportunity to network and socialize in addition to hearing lectures.
CCR organizers David A. McLain, MD, MACR, FACP, FRCP, executive director of the Alabama Society for the Rheumatic Diseases and symposium director of the Congress of Clinical Rheumatology, and Pamela McLain said presentations will cover a diverse range of topics, from common diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, to more rare conditions, such as IgG4 disease, sarcopenia in osteoporosis and scleroderma.
Healio sat down with the McLains to get the full scoop on speakers, topics and events expected at CCR East 2025.
Healio: Could you highlight some of the presentations in the program?
David: Laura Cappelli, MD, MHS, from Johns Hopkins University, will be talking about rheumatic diseases resulting from cancer treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors. This is a hot area that is generating a lot of great research, and Dr. Cappelli is going to give us an update on it.
We will also have Kevin Deane, MD, from the University of Colorado, who will talk about risk stratification and disease prediction in RA. He is very interested in early intervention, so this should be a great talk.
Another interesting topic will be IgG4-related disease, which will be presented by Matthew Baker, MD, MS, from Stanford University. He will talk about the diagnosis and management of this rare disease. I encourage you to visit the website, ccrheumatology.com, for the full list of speakers.
Healio: What considerations do you make when selecting speakers for this meeting?
Pam: When we are looking at speakers, the main criteria is their knowledge base. They must be considered an expert in their field, with a robust list of journal articles substantiating their place in the community as one of the top leaders in their field and most respected voices.
If they check those boxes, then we see if they are an effective and engaging speaker. The reason knowledge base is so important is because many doctors come to CCR looking for information that can help them in the clinic, and we want to have speakers who are going to provide them with the information they need. This is very important to us.
Healio: How will this meeting be helpful for clinicians?
Pam: When you look at the program, we want attendees to be able to take information home to their practices. So, when we put the program together, of course we are going to highlight the most common conditions that people are treating, like RA and lupus. Once we have speakers covering those conditions, then we can look at other conditions that are not quite as common.
Then we look at other issues that people need to be aware of. For example, we have a program on the transition from juvenile to adult care, which has been brought up a number of times recently in rheumatology literature. These diseases are not the same in adults as they are in children. It has become very important for adult rheumatologists to understand this, and to know how to treat patients who have recently transitioned to adult care. That was something we wanted to bring to the participants to have that knowledge and take it back to the clinic.
Healio: What does this year’s program offer on pain management?
David: We have multiple talks on opioids and chronic pain to cover treatment and regulatory information. For example, a lot of states now require at least 2 hours of pain management training for licensure.
The program at CCR East will offer attendees that, but we are also offering a talk on the psychosocial aspects of chronic pain and disability, and how to help patients handle work, social and marital issues. We deal with a lot of that as rheumatologists but we do not talk about it enough.
Healio: What would you say is the appeal of CCR East for younger clinicians and trainees?
David: As usual, Iain McInnes, FRCPE, FRCPGlas, FRSE, FMedSci, CBE, will be running the North American Young Rheumatology Investigator Forum (NYRIF) for fellows and prospective fellows. There will be oral presentations for the top 10 abstracts, and then the rest of the fellows will present their posters in rounds with the faculty.
We have stipends for all of them to help with travel expenses. This is a really good opportunity to get exposed to what’s new in rheumatology and make network connections in the field. We have started the A&R Medical Education Foundation to help sponsor NYRIF.
Healio: Beyond the presentations and posters, what else can attendees expect at CCR East 2025?
David: We have realized that people want more time to network, so, on Thursday night, after the Thieves’ Market, we are going to have a reception with food and cocktails. It will be a good time for everyone to talk in an informal setting. Also, on Saturday night, instead of a banquet, we are going to do a reception with food and cocktails for attendees and their families with prize drawings.
For more information:
David A. McLain, MD, MACR, FACP, FRCP, and Pamela McLain, MD, FAAD, can be reached at david.mclain@gmail.com.
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