Hear from Dr. Susan Shenoi on how to unlock the knowledge you need to make informed decisions about 2nd line treatments and the promising new therapies on the horizon. In this town hall, you will understand the next steps in your treatment journey, and be empowered with the latest insights and options.
Dr. Shenoi’s town hall details:
A basic understanding of JM – Dr. Shenoi describes myositis as a pizza topping analogy. Myositis is the base and the autoantibodies are the toppings. This analogy paints the picture of the many different disease courses in juvenile dermatomyositis and how unique they are.
Immune System Pathways – Dr. Shenoi provides a graphic of the immune system’s makeup that is really interesting and shows how different drugs target different pathways.
Combination Therapy – Since there is not an exact science as to which immune pathway to target, Dr. Shenoi and other JM experts believe that “combination therapy” is ideal for treatment. For example, abatacept might target the T-cell path, while Rituximab targets the B-cells. The combination of drugs targeting multiple immune system paths creates better outcomes.
Who should know these options – The primary goal of adding 2nd or 3rd line treatment options is to reduce and eliminate prednisone (steroids) as it comes with long term side effects. These options will hopeful allow for more control of the juvenile myositis without steroids and optimize a patients quality of life!
