Dermatology: Just a decade ago, conventional therapies were the standard for managing atopic dermatitis. Today, emerging treatments are transforming how we approach this condition.

Many patients who don’t meet clinical criteria for severe disease still face significant impacts on their quality of life. These individuals often need options beyond topical therapies, as systemic undertreatment can lead to missed opportunities to slow or prevent disease progression. However, access to targeted systemic treatments through the PBS in Australia remains limited.

In this interview, we explore the current treatment landscape for atopic dermatitis, highlighting advanced therapies and their potential to improve patient outcomes.

Rheumatology: Take Back Life Miniseries (Part 1): In recent years, significant advancements have been made in therapeutic approaches for psoriatic arthritis (PsA). This discussion delves into the role of interleukin-17 inhibitors in the pathogenesis of PsA, as well as the personalised management of PsA, integrating insights from current international guidelines with emerging real-world evidence.

By bridging the gap between research and practice, this conversation highlights how these advancements are being translated into clinical care, offering tailored treatment approaches that address the diverse needs and challenges faced by PsA patients in everyday settings.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become pivotal in the cardiology space since its introduction in 2002.

In this interview, we discuss some key updates in the TAVI space, in the form of two new studies:

Study one: A four-year follow-up update on the Evolut Low Risk (LR) randomised controlled trial comparing TAVI to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR).

Study two: A first-of-its-kind, randomised, controlled trial looking at improving procedural efficiencies and post-care outcomes of TAVI with the use of protamine – known as the ACE-PROTAVI Study.

An easy listen to gain the key takeaways from these new developments!

Epilepsy miniseries Part 4a: While women with epilepsy who desire pregnancy must be managed carefully during the pre-conception, and pre-and post-natal periods, epilepsy is not a contraindication for pregnancy. The care of women with epilepsy who desire pregnancy has changed significantly over the last 30 years, with more than 95% of women with epilepsy going on to deliver a healthy child. In this two-part interview, we discuss the management of women with epilepsy who are of childbearing age with 3 experts that have a particular interest in caring for women during the pre-conception and pre-and post-natal periods.

Epilepsy miniseries Part 4b: While women with epilepsy who desire pregnancy must be managed carefully during the pre-conception, and pre-and post-natal periods, epilepsy is not a contraindication for pregnancy. The care of women with epilepsy who desire pregnancy has changed significantly over the last 30 years, with more than 95% of women with epilepsy going on to deliver a healthy child. In this two-part interview, we discuss the management of women with epilepsy who are of childbearing age with 3 experts that have a particular interest in caring for women during the pre-conception and pre-and post-natal periods.

Haematology: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia Miniseries (Part 2): Until now, the use of minimal residual disease (MRD) testing in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) outside of a clinical trial program has not been standardised. Testing has been dependent on factors such as patient age and transplant considerations, largely because testing has not been funded through the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS). Well, that’s all changed, and now all patients with ALL are eligible for a total of twelve MRD tests per disease episode.

So, how will this affect clinical decisions, what will it mean for the treatment landscape, and how do we decide at what intervals to do these tests? Listen to this two-part interview to learn more…

Haematology: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia Miniseries (Part 1): Until now, the use of minimal residual disease (MRD) testing in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) outside of a clinical trial program has not been standardised. Testing has been dependent on factors such as patient age and transplant considerations, largely because testing has not been funded through the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS). Well, that’s all changed, and now all patients with ALL are eligible for a total of twelve MRD tests per disease episode.

So, how will this affect clinical decisions, what will it mean for the treatment landscape, and how do we decide at what intervals to do these tests? Listen to this two-part interview to learn more…

Epilepsy Miniseries (Part 3): There is universal agreement that primary generalised tonic-clonic seizures (PGTCS) are the most severe form of epileptic seizure. The treatment of PGTCS has been the subject of relatively few robust clinical studies, leading to significant unmet clinical needs in this patient population. Not only are there few treatment options available, but a significant proportion of patients who are treated with currently available drugs have insufficient seizure control or unacceptable drug tolerability. In this interview we discuss the importance of optimising the early treatment of PGTCS, including treatments with demonstrated effectiveness in this group. 20-minute listen

Gastroenterology Miniseries – Dr Falk (Part 4).

The treatment paradigm in ulcerative colitis (UC) is rapidly evolving beyond symptom control with the aim of achieving mucosal healing and steroid-free remission, associated with reduced rates of UC-related hospital admissions, avoiding the need for a colectomy, and improving quality of life.

It’s important that we make the most of the treatments we have, and not give up on a treatment if there’s a chance to make it work. 

In this interview we discuss the optimisation of 5-ASA medications in the management of patients with mild to moderate UC.

Endocrinology: Prof. MacIsaac and A/Prof. Rasalam were both lead authors in a recent review titled, ‘Challenging clinical perspectives in type 2 diabetes with tirzepatide, a first-in-class twincretin’ published in Diabetes Therapy. In this interview Prof. MacIsaac and A/Prof. Rasalam discuss key highlights of this review, as well as how these developments may affect the treatment algorithm of type 2 diabetes in Australia.