OVERVIEW

Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria: How Will Emerging Therapies Impact Treatment Paradigms? is organized by Healio and Vindico Medical Education.

This enduring material is approved for 1 year from the date of original release, March 31, 2022, to March 30, 2023.

Activity Description:
Urticaria is a common skin condition characterized by the occurrence of transient pruritic wheals. Skin mast cells are the main effector cells in the pathogenesis of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), but the underlying causes of their activation are unknown, and a diagnostic biomarker for CSU is still unknown. In 20% of patients with chronic urticaria, physical triggers can be identified, whereas for the remaining 80% of patients, no inducing stimulus is identified, leading to the diagnosis. Signs and symptoms of CSU and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) show moderate correlation, with some patients experiencing profound decrements in their HRQoL despite low disease activity. Thus, both quality of life (QoL) and disease activity must be considered when discussing treatment with patients. Despite the substantial overlap between the international and US guidelines for the treatment of CSU, there are differences in their recommendations, raising questions about what providers should do in the face of disagreement. Further, novel therapies for CSU are under investigation, which may prove to be new options for patients with CSU who do not respond to current treatments. In this activity, expert faculty review the burden of CSU and its impact on QoL, discuss the role and clinical implications of biomarkers in CSU, compare the current major treatment guidelines, and explore the current and emerging therapies for CSU.

Learning Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this activity, participants should be better able to:
• Assess the burden of CSU and its impact on quality of life.
• Evaluate the role of biomarkers in CSU and their clinical implications.
• Examine the benefits and drawbacks of guidelines for the management of CSU, including similarities and differences in the recommendations by major consensus groups.
• Review treatment options for patients who are refractory to first-line, second-line, and subsequently recommended lines of therapies.