Pediatric Onset MS: A Very Special Population

Volume 3, Issue 7

Pediatric Onset MS: A Very Special Population

In this issue:

Managing MS in childhood and adolescent patients presents some particular clinical challenges. The development of evidence-based guidance is hampered by the scarcity of randomized controlled trials enrolling this population. The safety and efficacy of virtually all the DMTs used in pediatric patients is based primarily on case series and retrospective studies. Treatment decision-making has become highly dependent on expert analysis and opinion.

That’s the focus of this issue of eMultipleSclerosis Review, as Drs. Zongqi Xia and Kavita Thakkar from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center review the most recent and pertinent information about caring for this very special pediatric population.

Learning objectives:

Discuss the current evidence for disease-modifying immunomodulatory therapy for the pediatric MS population.
Describe the differences in long-term outcomes between patients with childhood-onset vs adult-onset MS.

Authors:

Kavita Thakkar, MD

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology
Department of Pediatrics and Neurology
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Pittsburgh, PA

Zongqi Xia, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Neurology, Biomedical Informatics and Bioengineering
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Pittsburg, PA

Guest Faculty Disclosures

Dr. Thakkar has indicated that she has no financial interests or relationships with a commercial entity. 

Dr. Xia has disclosed that he has received consulting fees (scientific advisory board) from Genentech, Inc. and consulting fees (contracted research) from Octave Bioscience.

Unlabeled/Unapproved Uses

The authors will discuss the practical uses of non-approved medications in pediatric multiple sclerosis. Except for fingolimod, no other MS drugs are FDA approved for use in children with MS.

Program Directors:

Michael Kornberg, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Neurology
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD

Pavan Bhargava, MBBS, MD

Assistant Professor
Department of Neurology
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD

Lisa Fox, PA-C, MPAS

Department of Neurology
Johns Hopkins Hospital
Baltimore, MD

Guest Faculty Disclosures:

Dr. Thakkar has indicated that she has no financial interests or relationships with a commercial entity. 

Dr. Xia has disclosed that he has received consulting fees (scientific advisory board) from Genentech, Inc. and consulting fees (contracted research) from Octave Bioscience.

Unlabeled/Unapproved Uses:

The authors will discuss the practical uses of non-approved medications in pediatric multiple sclerosis. Except for fingolimod, no other MS drugs are FDA approved for use in children with MS.

Length of activity:

1.0 hour Physicians
1.0 contact hour Nurses

Launch date: November 28, 2020
Expiration date: November 27, 2022

Start Issue