1207. MOGcast - The Latest in Treatments from an Adult and Pediatric Perspective

This “MOGcast” edition of the “Ask the Expert” podcast series is
a collaborative episode titled, “The Latest in Treatments from an
Adult and Pediatric Perspective.” Dr. Elias Sotirchos and Dr.
Grace Gombolay joined Julia Lefelar of The MOG Project and Dr. GG
deFiebre of SRNA and answered questions from the online audience.
Dr. Sotirchos and Dr. Gombolay reviewed acute treatments for MOG
antibody disease (MOGAD) in adults and children and possible side
effects [00:03:57]. Regarding preventative treatments, Dr.
Sotirchos and Dr. Gombolay described the importance of shared
decision-making with patients to consider factors like
administration method, insurance coverage, and patient
preferences [00:20:10]. They discussed ongoing clinical trials
for MOGAD treatments and the hope for future FDA approval
[00:51:38]. Finally, Dr. Gombolay highlighted the difficulties in
accessing preventive medications for patients from certain
demographic groups and ongoing efforts to improve access
[00:56:35].





Elias Sotirchos, MD is a neurologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital in
Baltimore, Maryland. He specializes in the diagnosis, management,
and treatment of neuroimmunological disorders that involve the
central nervous system, including multiple sclerosis (MS),
neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), and myelin
oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-immunoglobulin G
(MOG-IgG)-associated disorder (MOGAD). His research focuses on
developing and validating novel imaging and blood-based
biomarkers of these conditions, and clinical trials of
experimental therapeutic agents.





Grace Gombolay, MD is a Pediatric Neurologist at Children’s
Healthcare of Atlanta and Assistant Professor at Emory University
School of Medicine. Dr. Gombolay attended medical school at The
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where she was awarded a
yearlong position as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute–National
Institutes of Health Research Scholar in basic immunology
research. After finishing medical school, she completed a
pediatric neurology residency at Massachusetts General Hospital.
She then completed an additional year of fellowship training in
pediatric neuroimmunology at Boston Children’s Hospital, Brigham
and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.





Over the course of her career at Children’s, Dr. Gombolay started
the Pediatric Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Clinic. This
multidisciplinary clinic helps manage all aspects of patient
care, including medical, psychological and school-related issues.
Her goal is to have the clinic become part of multi-center
collaborations for clinical care and research. Dr. Gombolay also
serves as a part-time consultant for the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), where she reviews cases related to
surveillance of acute flaccid myelitis cases in the U.S.