June 13
IN THIS ISSUE / JUNE 13, 2018
- FDA approves first hyaluronic acid filler for hands
- Feedback requested: Primary cutaneous melanoma treatment draft guidelines
- After 60 years, a new treatment for pemphigus vulgaris
- Jack Resneck Jr., MD, re-elected to AMA Board of Trustees
- Older patients slowly warming to telemedicine
- 2019 committee appointment application now open
FDA approves first hyaluronic acid filler for hands
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved hyaluronic acid filler, Restylane® Lyft, for use in the hands. It is the first and only hyaluronic acid injectable gel to be FDA approved for a non-facial body part. Calcium hydroxylapatite filler, Radiesse, is approved by the FDA for use in the face and hands. According to the FDA, Restylane Lyft with lidocaine may be used in adults 22 years or older with moderate-to-severe volume deficit of the hands.
There has been an influx of dermal fillers approved by the FDA in recent years. But these aren’t just any fillers. The latest fillers target moderate to severe wrinkles and/or folds in specific anatomic locations. Learn more in Dermatology World.
Related Links:
- A new spin: Examining the use behind platelet rich plasma for dermatologic procedures – Dermatology World (May 2018)
- Body contouring carves out its niche – Dermatology World (June 2016)
- The elixir of youth – Dermatology World (March 2016)
- The aging hand – Dermatology World (July 2014)
- AAD Hands-on: Cosmetics Course
Feedback requested: Primary cutaneous melanoma treatment draft guidelines
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) is requesting feedback from AAD members about its draft Guidelines of Care for Management of Primary Cutaneous Melanoma. AAD members are encouraged to provide comments on the draft guidelines before the comment period closes June 18. Several members have reported difficulty accessing the draft guidelines’ comment form. Please note that the technical issues have been resolved.
Guidelines serve as decision-making and educational aids for clinical practice to support and improve quality dermatologic care, and are used as the framework for quality measurement, reimbursement decisions, advocacy efforts, public messaging, and the identification of research gaps. When finalized, these evidence-based guidelines will be submitted for publication in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology and will be considered current for five years from the date of publication.
Related Links:
- Treating metastatic melanoma: Understanding a brave new world – Dermatology World (April 2018)
- What features are most helpful in diagnosing challenging melanoma cases? – Dermatology World (September 2017)
- What do the AAD's new non melanoma skin cancer guidelines say? – Dermatology World (February 2018)
- Academy clinical guidelines
After 60 years, a new treatment for pemphigus vulgaris
The FDA has approved rituximab (Rituxan) for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe pemphigus vulgaris. According to Sandra Horning, MD, chief medical officer and head of Genentech’s Global Product Development, rituximab is the “first approved treatment option in more than 60 years for patients with pemphigus vulgaris, a potentially life-threatening disease.”
Rituximab was approved as a treatment for relapsed or refractory low-grade or follicular, CD20-positive, B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1997 and has since been approved for a number of indications including rheumatoid arthritis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, and microscopic polyangiitis.
Read more about how chimeric antigen receptor T cells can potentially cause a surgical strike against pemphigus in Dermatology World.
Related Links:
- Systemic corticosteroids are currently the gold standard treatment for pemphigus – Dermatology World (January 2018)
- From bench to bedside – Dermatology World (March 2015)
- Can your dermatopathologist diagnose pemphigus and pemphigoid without the use of immunofluorescence? – Dermatology World (June 2016)
Jack Resneck Jr., MD, re-elected to AMA Board of Trustees
Dermatologist Jack Resneck Jr., MD, FAAD, has been re-elected to the American Medical Association’s Board of Trustees. Dermatology has successfully collaborated with the AMA and the greater house of medicine on many issues such as modifier 25 reimbursement cuts, truth in advertising, scope of practice, Medicare payment reform, and narrowed provider networks. To join the AMA and help keep dermatology’s voice strong in medicine and in advocacy, visit www.ama-assn.org/membership. Read more about dermatology’s fruitful alliances in Dermatology World.
Related Links:
Older patients slowly warming to telemedicine
A pair of recent surveys indicates that older Americans are slowly getting used to the concept of using telemedicine for health care. According to a new poll conducted by the The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, nine in 10 adults ages 40 and older indicated that they would be comfortable using at least one type of telemedicine for themselves or for an aging loved one. Similarly, a poll conducted by the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, found that about half of patients ages 50 to 80 have set up an online account with their health care provider. The report indicated that concerns over cybersecurity (see story above) kept non-adopters from utilizing technology to communicate with physicians.
Read more about how the practice of teledermatology is evolving and making its way to the private sector in Dermatology World. Also, learn more about how you can implement telemedicine and innovative ways to improve access for your patients today and tomorrow at the AADA’s Practice Management Center ― which now offers a new interactive map with state-specific teledermatology regulations.
Related Links:
- Exploring alternate sources of dermatologic care – Dermatology World (May 2017)
- Telemedicine – Dermatology World special focus issues (April 2015)
- Video: How to get started with telemedicine – Dermatology World (April 2015)
2019 committee appointment application now open
Every year, hundreds of dermatologists serve the Academy through its organizational governance structure and through other service opportunities. The Appointment Selection Committee, chaired by George J. Hruza, MD, MBA, has begun accepting applications to fill 2019 open appointments. Applications must be submitted by June 30, 2018. Members who are selected to serve will be contacted in the winter. Letters of recommendation are highly suggested but are not required.
Learn more about the specific committees and task forces, committee member responsibilities, and other opportunities, in the CCTF Resources-Governance Handbook.
