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Past Discussions

  • Rituximab

    Posted on: Friday, June 20, 2014 Time: 12:00 pm Presenter Name: Dr. Aggarwal

    Join us today as we welcome Rohit Aggarwal, MD, MSc. Dr. Aggarwal is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and the Education Coordinator for the Rheumatology Division of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Medicine. He has recently joined TMA’s medical advisory board and had a leadership role in the improvement measurement consensus meeting held recently in Paris. He will be taking your questions today about Rituxan (rituximab), which was the subject of a multi-center myositis trial for adults and children with DM and PM.Dr. Aggarwal has received some of your questions in advance, and will choose those of most general interest to answer. Please feel free to submit new questions in the course of the live discussion. A transcript will be available shortly after the end of the discussion.Dr. Aggarwal, thank you for joining us today.

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  • Exercise to Reduce Inflammation, Increase Strength and Flexibility

    Posted on: Tuesday, April 29, 2014 Time: 12:00 pm Presenter Name: Dr. Helene Alexanderson

    Join us today to welcome Dr. Helene Alexanderson, who joins us from Sweden. Dr. Alexanderson is a new member of TMA’s medical advisory board, but she has been involved with myositis patients for a long time. Dr. Alexanderson has co-authored many studies showing that exercise helps people with myositis — not only by keeping muscles flexible — but by actually reducing the systemic inflammation of myositis. Dr. Alexanderson is with the Dept of Neurobiology in the Division of Physical Therapy at Karolinska Institute in Sweden. She also works with myositis patients to develop an appropriate exercise routine. Dr. Alexanderson has received some questions that you have left for her in advance, and will also take questions as the discussion progresses. She will give priority to those questions that are of general interest. Dr. Alexanderson, thank you for your participation in today’ s discussion and for your work with myositis patients.

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  • Autoantibodies

    Posted on: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Time: 12:00 pm Presenter Name: Dr. Gourley

    Today we welcome Dr. Mark Gourley to answer your questions about autoimmunity. Ever since the discovery of myositis-specific and myositis-associated auto-antibodies several years ago, scientists have been finding ways to use individual disease profiles to prescribe treatment and predict risks. Dr. Mark Gourley is a rheumatologist in Washington, DC, with a long-time connection with the myositis studies at the National Institutes of Health, and a member of TMA’s medical advisory board. He has co-authored many studies on the inflammatory myopathies, and spoke at TMA’s Annual Patient Conference last year.

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  • Understanding Autoimmunity

    Posted on: Thursday, January 16, 2014 Time: 12:00 pm Presenter Name: Dr. Mozaffar

    Today we welcome Dr. Tahseen Mozaffar to answer your questions about autoimmunity. Dr. Mozaffar is director of the Neuromuscular Center at UC Irvine Medical Center in California and is a nationally-recognized expert in his field. He serves as a principal investigator and co-investigator in clinical trials of drugs for neuromuscular conditions, and is the author of many professional journal articles. Dr. Mozzafar is the chairman of TMA’s medical advisory board and a popular speaker at TMA’s Annual Patient Conferences. He’ll select the questions and both the question and answer will be visible at the same time. Please feel free to submit questions during the course of the discussion. TMA staff have submitted questions some of you sent through email, Facebook and Twitter. Although your TMA contact name will be visible during the discussion, it will not be on the transcript, which will be available after the discussion.Thanks to Dr. Mozaffar for being with us today.

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  • BYM338-Novartis Breakthrough Therapy for IBM

    Posted on: Monday, December 16, 2013 Time: 12:00 pm Presenter Name: Dr. Greenberg

    Dr. Steve Greenberg is a neurologist and director of the inclusion-body myositis lab participating in research at Harvard University Medical School, Brigham and Young Hospital, and Children’s Hospital in Boston, answers your questions about “BYM338-Novartis Breakthrough Therapy for IBM.”

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  • When Myositis Doesn’t Respond to Treatment

    Posted on: Thursday, September 5, 2013 Time: 12:00 pm Presenter Name: Dr. Andrew Mammen

    Dr. Andrew Mammen is the Co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Myositis Center and an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He is also a member of TMA’s Medical Advisory Board and the author of many myositis studies.

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