1/30/2025-In this AANEM podcast, Dr. Stino interviews Dr. Allen on the groundbreaking ADHERE study, published in Lancet Neurology in 2024, which investigated efgartigimod for treating Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP). As the largest CIDP trial to date with 322 patients across 146 sites, it marked the first major study of a targeted biologic therapy in CIDP. The trial featured a unique two-stage design: an open-label response phase followed by a randomized controlled phase for responders. Dr. Allen explains the rationale behind targeting IgG in CIDP, despite its less clear antibody-mediated mechanism compared to myasthenia gravis. The study demonstrated a 66-70% response rate in the open-label phase, with significantly lower relapse rates compared to placebo in the randomized phase. This research represents a significant advancement in CIDP treatment options, offering a weekly subcutaneous administration that could reduce treatment burden compared to traditional therapies. 31 min.

1/15/2025- In this AANEM podcast, Dr. Andrés De León interviews neuromuscular pathology experts Dr. Aziz Shaibani and Dr. Marcus Pinto about the current state and value of muscle and nerve biopsies in clinical practice. The discussion covers essential topics including proper indications for biopsies, technical considerations in choosing biopsy sites, staining techniques, and the impact of advancing genetic testing on diagnostic approaches. Dr. Shaibani emphasizes that while genetic testing has reduced some muscle biopsy indications, biopsies remain crucial for certain conditions like inflammatory myopathies and mitochondrial disorders. Dr. Pinto details specific scenarios where nerve biopsies are invaluable, particularly in diagnosing vasculitic neuropathy and amyloidosis. Both experts share insights on the complementary role of muscle and nerve biopsies in conditions like systemic vasculitis and discuss how modern diagnostic tools like myositis antibody testing and genetic panels are changing but not eliminating the need for tissue diagnosis. 33 min.