Sharing Innovations in Psoriasis Biologics and Uplifting Women in Dermatology – Dermatology Times

I'm going to walk the team through the head-to-head clinical trial data, but also the real-world data because the reality is a drug may perform beautifully in a controlled clinical trial setting, but the real world is messy, so that drug may not perform in the same way. I'm going to guide the attendees on which drugs offer the best durability of response over time. Spoiler alert: the IL-23's have really held up not only from an efficacy standpoint, but also from a safety standpoint over time, said Mona Shahriari, MD, FAAD, in an interview with Dermatology Times at the 2024 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting in San Diego, California.

Shahriari, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine and the associate director of clinical trials at CCD Research in Connecticut, presented pearls from her AAD session, Comparative Efficacy and Relative Ranking of Psoriasis Biologics Using Real-world and Clinical Trial Data. Shahriari reviewed the efficacy of various biologics and systemics for psoriasis in both clinical trials and real-world examples. Shahriari also reviewed the efficacy of biosimilars and their success.

At AAD, Shahriari also participated in a panel during Bristol Myers Squibbs Women Connection Forum. Shahriari spoke alongside Latanya Benjamin, MD, FAAD, FAAP; Alexandra Golant, MD, FAAD; and Jenny Murase, MD, FAAD, to share their personal and professional journeys, as well as advice for women in dermatology.

If there's something that you want, it's okay to ask. I think a lot of times as women, we assume that certain opportunities are given to us based on our credentials, people look at our CV, people look at everything that we've done. But that's not always the case. Sometimes people don't even know that you're interested in activity. I learned that if there was something I was interested in, if I just asked and said, Hey, I just want to throw my name in the hat for XYZ opportunity that's coming up, they've actually looked at me more carefully, and I've been able to partake in that opportunity, said Shahriari when sharing her advice for women wanting to advance in dermatology.

Transcript

Mona Shahriari, MD, FAAD: Hi, my name is Mona Shahriari. I'm an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University and the associate director of clinical trials at CCD research.

Dermatology Times: What pearls are you sharing during your session, "Comparative efficacy and relative ranking of psoriasis biologics using real-world and clinical data?"

Shahriari: At this year's American Academy of Dermatology meeting, I'm going to be doing a talk that looks at the comparative effectiveness of different biologics and systemics for plaque psoriasis, not only in clinical trial data, but also in real-world data, because we have a busy toolbox of medications. And sometimes, it's tough to know which drug do I reach for first, and if that fails, which drug do I reach for a second? I'm going to really walk the team through the head-to-head clinical trial data, but also the real-world data, because the reality is a drug may perform beautifully in a controlled clinical trial setting, but the real world is messy, so that drug may not perform in the same way. I'm going to guide the attendees on which drugs offer the best durability of response over time. Spoiler alert the IL-23's have really held up not only from an efficacy standpoint, but from a safety standpoint over time. And interestingly, some of our biosimilars have proven to be just as good as our originator drugs. So,we'll walk through the nitty gritty of those details.

Dermatology Times: What other topics or sessions are you looking forward to at AAD?

Shahriari: Well, I have to say the late breaker session is always my absolute favorite. I make sure not to miss that because being on the cutting edge of clinical trials and dermatology research, I want to make sure I'm offering my patients the most innovative treatment for their skin disease. So that is a session I do not miss because I want to make sure I know what the rest of 2024 is going to look like. But also, the JAK Inhibitors: A New Frontier, that was a new session that hit the space last year, heavily attended, and JAK inhibitors are revolutionizing how we treat so many different diseases within dermatology. I really want to see what else is out there on the horizon, and how we can bring this amazing therapy to our patients.

Dermatology Times: What is the significance of the Bristol Myers Squibb Women's Forum Panel that you participated in?

Shahriari: Well, I really think this is a landmark connection form that they put together, because the reality is as women not only in dermatology, but also as career women out there, there are definitely some disparities that go on, whether it's related to pay, whether it's related to promotion, or really just getting your name out there and exposure. And really, the purpose of this woman's connection forum is to not only help us gain connections with other women leaders within the field, and have those friendships develop and networking opportunities develop, but also to hear about the struggles of other women. Sometimes when you normalize it, and you have somebody who you look up to tell you, "You know what, I went through the same challenges. And this is how I overcame them." It can really help you feel closer to those individuals. But also, you realize everybody's human, everyone's going to face challenges, and what can you do to overcome those challenges and not let them get you down?

Dermatology Times: What advice do you have for other women in dermatology?

Shahriari: I really think the 2 main pieces of advice I have is to find a good mentorship network. And I'm calling it a network and not a mentor because in different stages of your life and different aspects of your career, you're going to need different people. And that mentor might be a female, that mentor might be a male. You want to find different individuals to include in that network of yours so you'll have individuals to go through. But also, one other piece of advice I have is if there's something that you want, it's okay to ask. I think a lot of times as women, we assume that certain opportunities are given to us based on our credentials, people look at our CV, people look at everything that we've done. But that's not always the case. Sometimes people don't even know that you're interested in an activity. And I really learned that if there was something I was interested in, if I just asked and said, "Hey, I just want to throw my name in the hat for XYZ opportunity that's coming up, "they've actually looked at me more carefully, and I've been able to partake in that opportunity. So that was one of the simplest pieces of advice I got once upon a time. And it's really done well for me.

Dermatology Times: What positive changes have you seen in dermatology?

Shahriari: I think one thing I've noticed is historically, as a specialty, we used to prescribe a lot of topical agents for our patients. But we've had an explosion of oral and injectable medications for the treatment of various diseases. And I've been really pleased to find a lot of my colleagues jumping on the bandwagon to offer patients some of these newer therapies because sometimes as dermatologists we do want to see more safety data, we do want to see more efficacy data. But I think the value of these newer generation medications, not only from an efficacy standpoint, but also from a safety standpoint is becoming more evident. So, to see my colleagues jump on the bandwagon and offer these to the patients is really going to make a difference for our patients for years and years to come.

One other piece that I've seen is there's been a lot of emphasis on diversity within clinical trials and really allowing for our patients with skin of color to be at the forefront of many activities that we do within dermatology. Because the reality is that historically a lot of our patients with skin of color, they were not in our clinical trials. And when these individuals went to dermatology offices, they were either not getting appropriate treatment, or they were being undertreated. misdiagnosed. And many of my contemporaries and colleagues just didn't feel comfortable caring for these individuals, but as the population of the United States diversifies, and those people who are a minority today become more of the majority, I love that within dermatology, we are prioritizing the needs of these individuals so that we can take care of all of our patients across all skin tones moving forward.

[Transcript lightly edited for space and clarity.]

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Cris Cyborg To Face Unbeaten Foe in Second Pro Boxing Fight – BoxingScene.com

World Fighting Championships returns Jan. 19 at the beautiful Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif. with a stacked card highlighted by Cris Cyborg vs. Kelsey Wickstrum in the main event.

The card is WFCs first of the year, and first at the casino. It will be streamed beginning at 7:00 p.m. on the 19th at spectationsports.com.

Cris Cyborg (1-0), regarded as one of the top MMA female fighters in the world, embarks on her second fight of her professional boxing career. Cyborg shined in her professional debut in 2022, knocking down Gabrielle Holloway en route to a four-round, wide unanimous decision in Omaha.

I am excited to be making my California boxing debut with Pechanga Casino and WFC, said Cyborg. Kelsey Wickstrum is ranked #3 in the USA at super welterweight for womens boxing, and it will be a great challenge.

Cyborgs opponent, undefeated Kelsey Wickstrum (2-0, 1KO) is coming off a first round stoppage win over Sudana Moore last April in Maryland.

My team and I feel great about this fight, said Wickstrum. I am very grateful for the opportunity. This is the biggest fight of my career against a legendary woman in the world of mixed martial arts and women's combat sports. All my preparation leading up to this fight was to make sure I am prepared mentally and physically to handle this fight, no matter what direction it may go. I am confident in my skills and I bet on me always. I am always the underdog and I am always overlooked, which has proved to be a mistake. One thing about me is I always come prepared and I do not come to lose. I expect nothing less than an awesome fight and performance.

This is a great card to kick off 2024 for World Fighting Championships, said Matt McGovern, promoter and CEO of WFC. Were excited to have Cris Cyborg on the card, and she is facing a very tough opponent in Kelsey Wickstrum. Were very grateful to Pechanga Resort Casino and the Pechanga Band of Indians for partnering with us on this event.

In the co-main event, San Diegos Jesus Resendiz (7-0-1, 5KO) faces Rosekie Cristobal (15-6, 11KO) of the Philippines in a six-round bout at welterweight. Resendiz is coming off a third round knockout over Jose Leon. Cristobal will be fighting for the first time since 2021.

Also on the card, San Diego super lightweight Angel Estrada (10-1-1, 7KO) faces Frank Brown (3-3-2, 1KO) of San Antonio. Super welterweights Angel Munoz (5-0, 4KO) and Keith Carson (1-6-1) face off, and Californians Freddie Johnson (debut) and Alex Gutierrez (0-3) mix it up at super featherweight.

Kevin Salgado (4-1, 2KO) will be in action at 147 lbs, Fernando Gonzalez (debut) faces John Darcy (2-1, 2KO) at light heavyweight, Ulysses Navarro (1-0, 1KO) and Michael Hansen (debut) square off at featherweight, Christian Tinoco (debut) will face brandon Truong (0-1), and Jack May (8-0, 7KO) faces Trevor Kotara (3-3-1, 1KO) at heavyweight.

The card will also feature several amateur bouts.

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Cris Cyborg To Face Unbeaten Foe in Second Pro Boxing Fight - BoxingScene.com

Don’t knock the economic value of majoring in the liberal arts | Brookings – Brookings Institution

For years, economists and more than a few worried parents have argued over whether a liberal arts degree is worth the price. The debate now seems to be over, and the answer is 'no.'

Can we please lighten up on knocking the value of a liberal arts education? With a recent spate of bad press for liberal arts departments on university campuses, many commentators conclude that the writing is on the wall. When it comes to economics, I argue the liberal arts still belong on college campuses: The liberal arts pay.

There are many reasons to be legitimately concerned about the direction the humanities and other liberal arts have taken in recent decades. Course enrollments and declared majors have plummeted across many disciplines since the pandemic, ranging from history to foreign language. This is the continuation of a decades-old pattern: According to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Humanities Project, the share of humanities degrees out of all bachelors degrees peaked in 1967 at 17.2% and by 2018 had fallen to 4.4%.

Research universities also continue to turn out humanities doctorates for whom job prospects are bleak. Liberal arts colleges have been at risk for decades.

Despite arguments that a liberal arts education may be exactly the right preparation for a world in which routine tasks are taken over by AI, students are apparently not yet persuaded. Thus, humanities departments in colleges face very real budget pressures, including sometimes the risk of being eliminated. Indeed, West Virginia University is eliminating all foreign language degrees, and the University of Nebraska at Kearney has also proposed cutting its theater and philosophy programs.

I suspect that part of the political push to eliminate the humanities, especially from off-campus sources, is connected to the myth that the price of college has skyrocketed. In fact, the real price of college attendance has been falling modestly in recent years. Consequently, the share of undergraduates taking out student loans and the loan values are also down slightly.

Since Im an economist, in what follows Im going to stick to earnings numbers. But I also recognize there is more to a career than earnings. The American Academy of Arts and Sciences reports that responses to the statement I am deeply interested in the work I do are about the same for majors in the arts, humanities, engineering, and social sciences, although responses were a little higher in education and the natural sciences. And for a good reminder that careers are not all there is to life, see this article by a former poet laureate of Mississippi who writes, Students who master written and spoken communication can change the world.

Angst notwithstanding, here are two facts that are both true:

Heres a picture that illustrates why both are true.

Using data from the American Community Survey (ACS) collected between 2017 and 2021, Ive looked at graduates falling into one of four categories: education ended with a high school diploma, education ended with an associate degree, education ended with a bachelors degree in a liberal arts field, and education ended with a bachelors degree in a field other than liberal arts. Using the categories provided in the ACS, Ive defined liberal arts majors as Area, Ethnic, and Civilization Studies, Linguistics and Foreign Languages, English Language, Literature, and Composition, Liberal Arts and Humanities, Fine Arts, and History. Everything else Im categorizing as not liberal arts. The figure above gives average annual wage and salary income for each kind of degree. (The latest data is for 2021, so all the figures are in 2021 dollars. The sample is for ages 23 through 65. For a similar analysis with slightly older data but a broader listing of majors, see The College Payoff.)

For fact number one, compare the dark blue liberal arts bachelors bar to the orange bar for other majors. The latter is considerably higher. On average, people with a liberal arts degree earned only $50,000 a year while those with other degrees earned $65,000. Thats a big difference. (Median earnings are lower than average earnings of course, but the gap isnt much different$37,000 versus $50,000.)

For fact number two, compare the dark blue liberal arts bar to the light blue bar for those earning only a high school diploma. The liberal arts bar is much highergetting a liberal arts degree is a good investment compared to not going to college at all. On average, the liberal arts degree led to a $50,000 annual income compared to $28,000 for those stopping at the end of high school. (Median earnings are $37,000 versus $21,000 for high school only.) A $12,000 annual difference in earnings will, over a lifetime, more than pay for a college education. Suppose one worked for 35 years after graduation. The lifetime difference would be $420,000 (ignoring inflation). That way, way more than makes up the cost of tuition plus and foregone earnings from a student not working while in college. Unsurprisingly, pay associated with an associate degree falls in between what liberal arts bachelors degrees earn and what one gets with a high school diploma. Its worth noting that employment rates in the data also follow a similar pattern: strongest for non-liberal-arts bachelors holders (81.9%), followed by liberal arts bachelors holders (78.5%), then associate degree holders (77%), then high school graduates only (64.4%).

An important part of the story is that right out of college, liberal arts majors do not earn much more than high school graduates, though this understates earnings potential over the long term. Earnings for all college graduates rise rapidly after graduation and continue to rise for decades. In contrast, the age-earnings profile of high school graduates is relatively flat. One hidden advantage of majoring in non-STEM fields is that students learn general skills that last a lifetime, where the specific skills in more technical subjects often have a shorter shelf life and differences between majors eventually narrow later down the career path.

The picture above shows average earnings for holders of each credential across different survey respondents ages; this provides a plausible pathway for earnings over the course of ones career (though its possible nobodys career path looks exactly like this). At age 22, the liberal arts line is not much higher than either the high school or associate degree lines. But the liberal arts bachelors line rises very rapidlymuch more so than is true for either high school graduates or those whove earned an associate degree. You can also see that graduates with bachelors degrees outside the liberal arts do begin their careers earning noticeably more than either liberal arts majors or high school graduates, and the gap grows over time. For example, at age 50, the average earnings with a liberal arts degree are $67,000 a year. Thats not as good as a non-liberal arts degree at $81,000, but its quite a bit better than an associate degree at $49,000 or a high school diploma at $33,000.

One hopes that students go to college for more than just the financial value of the degreenot just for their own sake but also because society needs a citizenry equipped to think broadly. But that hope aside, liberal arts degrees do pay. They dont pay as well as other college degrees, but they do pay and policymakers need to be clear-eyed about that before running roughshod across humanities departments. The humanities are indeed in trouble, but its silly to say that a liberal arts degree is not worth the price.

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Don't knock the economic value of majoring in the liberal arts | Brookings - Brookings Institution