Don't Just Read the Abstract

In this episode, Rich and Pip discuss de Latour et al. Oral Iptacopan Monotherapy in Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria. NEJM 2024 . Iptacopan is a proximal complement inhibitor and the first oral treatment for paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria. The study randomised patients to either continuation of a C5 inhibitor or switch to ictacopan and found that a significant proportion of patients achi...

In this episode, Pip and Rich discuss plasma exchange free treatment of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura with Dr Lucas Kuhne and Professor Paul Brinkoetter, authors of a recent study in Blood: Kühne et al. Management of immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura without therapeutic plasma exchange. The study is an observational, retrospective study reporting outcomes of patients with TTP who we...

In this episode, Rich and Pip discuss a paper a German/Austrian study published in Blood: Kühne et al. Management of immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura without therapeutic plasma exchange. The study is an observational, retrospective study reporting outcomes of patients with TTP who were treated without plasma exchange, which is currently considered the standard of care. The advent of a no...

In this episode, Rich and Pip discuss gene therapy for sickle cell disease, focusing on Frangoul et al. Exagamglogene Autotemcel for Severe Sickle Cell Disease, NEJM 2024. HaemSTAR is an independent UK-wide network of registrars in clinical haematology, interested in promoting and performing research in classical haematology. Our focus is on collaborative projects across haemostasis & thrombos...

In this episode, Pip and Rich discuss ANNEXA-I with Dr Will Lester, consultant haematologist at University Hospitals Birmingham. ANNEXA-I was a randomised controlled trial of andexanet alfa for reversal of anti-FXa oral anticoagulants in patients with intracerebral haemorrhage. There's a lot to get your teeth stuck into so and this one is a lively discussion! Disclosure: Pip and Rich are named inv...

In this episode, Rich and Pip discuss the ANNEXA-I trial (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2313040). This was a randomised controlled trial of andexanet alfa, a decoy factor Xa molecule that is a reversal agent for oral factor Xa inhibitors. Patients were randomised to andexanet alfa or usual care. The primary outcome was haemostatic efficacy and andexanet alfa was shown to result in be...

In this episode, Rich and Pip discuss vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. They critique a recent paper that has shown that VITT has been around before vaccines against Covid-19. Importantly, they discuss which patients should be tested for spontaneous VITT- and HIT-like syndromes, and discuss a recent case. The paper is: Schönborn L. et al. Anti...

In this episode, Pip and Rich discuss the ADVANCE IV trial: Efficacy and safety of the neonatal Fc receptor inhibitor efgartigimod in adults with primary immune thrombocytopenia: a multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. With the help of Professor of Immunohaematology, Prof. Nikki Cooper, Rich and Pip dissect the trial, learning loads about ITP and the difficulties of doing tri...

In this episode, Pip and Rich discuss the FRAIL-AF study : Joosten et al. Safety of Switching From a Vitamin K Antagonist to a Non–Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulant in Frail Older Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Results of the FRAIL-AF Randomized Controlled Trial. Circulation. 2024;149:279–289. This trial randomised the switching of elderly frail patients who were established on a vitamin...

In this, the first episode Drs Pip Nicolson and Rich Buka take a deep dive into the PACER trial: Platelet Transfusion before CVC Placement in Patients with Thrombocytopenia. After a quick round up of other trials that have sparked their interest, Pip and Rich discuss about the study aims and outcomes, before interviewing Dr Floor van Baarle, lead study author before discussing the clinical implica...