Join our Podcast on NMO Studies and Clinical Trials: What Should I Know?
What are the various studies and clinical trials in NMO? How do these different drugs work? What is their mechanism of action? How do I know which one is right for me? How does a clinical trial benefit me? What is a placebo-controlled trial? What if I have an exacerbation during the study? What happens when the study is over?
These and more questions will be addressed during our Podcast tomorrow With Dr. Benjamin Greenberg from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Dr. Michael Levy from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
In addition to our experts, four special guests from the pharmaceutical industry will be joining us to talk about novel therapies for individuals diagnosed with NMO and NMO Spectrum Disorder that are currently open for enrollment.
ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS
Benjamin M. Greenberg, MD, MHS
Associate Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Director of the Transverse Myelitis and Neuromyelitis Optica Program, Dallas, TX
Dr. Greenberg is recognized internationally as an expert in rare autoimmune disorders of the central nervous system. He splits his clinical time between seeing both adult and pediatric patients. He routinely consults on the inpatient units of Zale-Lipshy University Hospital, Parkland Memorial Hospital, and Children’s Health. His research interests are in both the diagnosis and treatment of transverse myelitis, neuromyelitis optica, encephalitis, multiples sclerosis, and infections of the nervous system. He is actively involved in developing better ways to diagnose and prognosticate for patients with these disorders. He has led an effort to improve biorepository development and has created uniform protocols for sample handling and analysis. As part of this initiative his research has identified novel biomarkers that may be able to distinguish between patients with various neurologic disorders. He also coordinates trials that study new treatments to prevent neurologic damage and restore function to those who have already been affected. He currently serves as the Director of the Neurosciences Clinical Research Center at UT Southwestern and is a Cain-Denius Foundation Scholar. Dr. Greenberg is a member of The Board of Directors of The Siegel Rare Neuroimmune Association and also Chairs SRNA Medical and Scientific Council.
Michael Levy, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Medical Director of General Neurology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD
Dr. Levy is Assistant Professor of Neurology at The Johns Hopkins University and Medical Director of General Neurology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Levy also directs the Neuromyelitis Optica Clinic and follows over 200 patients with NMO and related disorders. In addition to clinical work at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Dr. Levy runs the Neuromyelitis Optica and stem cell research labs. The focus of his research is animal modeling of neuro-inflammatory disease and development of strategies to regenerate the nervous system with stem cell technology. Dr. Levy completed the MD/PhD program at Baylor College of Medicine in 2004, Neurology residency training at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 2008 followed by neuroimmunology fellowship training at Johns Hopkins focusing on NMO research. In Oct 2009, he was appointed to the faculty. Dr. Levy is a member of SRNA Medical and Scientific Council.
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUESTS
Dr. Athos Gianella-Borradori
Chief Medical Officer | Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., LTD.
Dr. Gianella-Borradori is the Chief Medical Officer and head of Translational Research at Chugai Pharma USA, LLC and Chugai Pharmaceuticals, LLC in Tokyo, Japan. He has over 20 years of domestic and global clinical research and development experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Gianella-Borradori earned his doctorate in medicine from the University of Bern (Switzerland) and is a board certified hematologist and oncologist. During his career, Dr. Gianella-Borradori worked in teams developing medicines in several therapeutic areas including neurology, he pioneered the use of biomarkers in early clinical development, and kept a strong focus on the needs of patients.
Ms. Angela Melia
Senior Clinical Operations Leader, Project Manager | Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., LTD.
Ms. Melia has over 20 years of experience in domestic and global clinical research and operations with Hoffmann-La Roche in Nutley, NJ and most recently, with Chugai Pharma USA, LLC in Berkeley Heights, NJ. Ms. Melia’s clinical programs were Phases I-IV from initiation through close-out in various therapeutic areas in virology, infectious disease, metabolism, oncology, neurology, and inflammation. She led and managed project teams, regional monitors, and in house CRAs. Ms. Melia completed her Bachelor of Science in Biology at Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ that earned her Magna cum Laude, and completed a mini-MBA Certificate Program in BioPharm Innovation at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. Ms. Melia is a PMP Certified by Project Management Institute, Inc. (PMI).
Eliezer Katz, MD FACS
Senior Director | MedImmune LLC
Dr. Katz is currently senior director at RIA (respiratory, inflammation, and autoimmunity) clinical development, MedImmune LLC. At RIA Dr. Katz oversees clinical development in neuro-inflammation, inflammatory bowel disease, and myositis. Dr. Katz earned his MD degree from the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem Israel. Dr. Katz joined the pharmaceutical industry in 2004 following a 20 years of academic career as a liver transplant surgeon. His last position in academia was associate professor of surgery and director of liver transplant at University of Massachusetts Medical Center. In Industry, Dr. Katz was vice president at CTI clinical trial and consulting services, and senior director at Medicine Development Group, Pfizer Inc. Dr. Katz is an author in more than 50 peer review publications.
Robert Glanzman, MD
Executive Director, Neuroscience Lead, Global Medical Science | Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Dr. Robert Glanzman hails from the Midwest of the USA. After graduating medical school at Wake Forrest University, he completed a residency in neurology at the University of Michigan and fellowship in diagnostic nuclear medicine at Duke University. He spent 7 years as Adjunct Clinical Professor at Michigan State University, practicing general neurology and nuclear cardiology/neurology in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, an area of highly endemic multiple sclerosis. During this time he taught residents and was Primary Investigator for numerous clinical trials in neurology. He came to Pharma in 1999, holding titles of increasing responsibility at both large Pharma companies (Pfizer, Novartis,Hoffmann La Roche) and small biotech companies (Nektar Therapeutics). From 2009 to 2012 he was the Global Development Team Leader for Ocrelizumab in MS at Roche.
