A History of Advances in Preventing Organ Rejection

Milestones in Medicine: A History of Advances in Preventing Organ Rejection

Presented by Temple University School of Medicine and HealthcareFirst

Release Date: December 20, 2009
Expiration Date: December 20, 2010

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

Faculty

Jens Goebel, MD

Associate Professor of Pediatrics

Clinical Director, Nephrology and Hypertension

Medical Director of Kidney Transplantation

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Cincinnati, Ohio

Matthew R. Weir, MD

Professor and Director

Division of Nephrology

University of Maryland School of Medicine

Baltimore, Maryland

Educational Overview

Milestones in Medicine: A History of Advances in Preventing Organ Rejection is a distinct educational activity designed to depict advances in immunosuppressive medicine. Through an interactive, self-guided tutorial, this program will illustrate the alloimmune response mechanism that triggers organ rejection in renal transplantation and will further provide an advanced understanding of the targets of some of the older and current immunosuppressive agents, as well as those currently in development.

Target Audience

This educational activity is designed for transplant professionals, including nephrologists, surgeons, transplant coordinators, and community nephrologists.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Discuss the clinical evidence that drove the shift from calcineurin inhibitors and steroids to regimens that include biologic agents

• Understand the roles of inflammation and inflammatory mediators in graft rejection (acute and chronic), and discuss the role of biologic inhibitors in mediating this process

• Identify approved and developmental agents for graft rejection and discuss their targets, relative efficacies, and safety profiles in monotherapy or combination therapy for the management of rejection

Accreditation Statement

Temple University School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to sponsor continuing medical education for physicians.

Temple University School of Medicine is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the PA State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Certification Statement

Temple University School of Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Temple University School of Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 0.5 nursing contact hour.

Disclosure Policy

It is the policy of Temple University School of Medicine, The Albert J. Finestone, M.D., Office for Continuing Medical Education, to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all of its sponsored or jointly sponsored educational programs. All faculty, planning committee members, and content reviewers participating in programs sponsored or jointly sponsored by Temple University School of Medicine are expected to disclose to the program audience any real or apparent conflict(s) of interest related to the content of their presentation(s).

The information presented at this CME program represents the views and opinions of the individual presenters, and does not constitute the opinion or endorsement of, or promotion by, Temple University School of Medicine, Temple University Health System, or its affiliates. Reasonable efforts have been taken intending for educational subject matter to be presented in a balanced, unbiased fashion and in compliance with regulatory requirements. However, each program attendee must always use his/her own personal and professional judgment when considering further application of this information, particularly as it may relate to patient diagnostic or treatment decisions, including, without limitation, FDA-approved uses and any off-label uses.

Faculty Disclosure Declarations

Jens Goebel, MD, has no commercial relationships to disclose.

Matthew R. Weir, MD, has been a consultant for Amgen Inc.; Boehringer Ingelheim; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.; Johnson & Johnson; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; and sanofi-aventis.

All conflicts were resolved.

Planning Committee Disclosures

Members of Temple University School of Medicine and HealthcareFirst have no commercial relationships to disclose.

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