Sincerely,

Tom Carpenter, MD

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A Note from Novo Nordisk

At Novo Nordisk, we recognize that our supply challenges have been extremely difficult for HCPs, their staff, patients, and their caregivers.  In the spirit of ensuring treatment continuity for growth disorder patients, we continue to have dialog with payers about having multiple growth hormone products accessible to patients on their formularies.  Novo Nordisk has also had productive and fruitful conversations with the PES leadership to ensure the voice of your membership is heard and considered as we continue to navigate the situation.  We are a long-standing partner to the growth disorders community, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to serve patients and provide them with the treatments they have come to rely on. Thank you to the PES for your patience.  We will continue to share updates as they become available to keep you, patients, and other stakeholders informed. 

Now Accepting 2024 Research Fellowship Awards, Clinical Scholar Awards and EDI Award Applications! Deadline: December 14, 2023 @ 5:00 PM ET. Apply now!

Research Fellowship Award Purpose: To support the final year of research training in a Pediatric endocrinology fellowship for highly qualified individuals preparing for a career in academic Pediatric endocrinology. Both clinical and basic research projects are eligible.

RFA: https://apps.pedsendo.org/Awards/Research/?admin=1

Clinical Scholar Award Purpose: To promote early career research development of academic Pediatric endocrinologists.

CSA: https://apps.pedsendo.org/Awards/Clinical/?admin=1

EDI Award Purpose: To support conducting research, clinical or educational endeavors that address health disparities and/or focus on diversity, equity and inclusion in the field of Pediatric endocrinology. Potential areas of interest include, but are not limited to, an increased understanding of implicit and explicit bias, career development of minority physicians, quality improvement, healthcare outcomes, equity in mentorship and outreach efforts.

EDI: https://apps.pedsendo.org/awards/edi/

All Application Deadlines: December 14, 2023 @ 5:00 PM ET

Please click on the links below to access detailed instructions, requirements, and to submit an application.

• CSA: https://apps.pedsendo.org/Awards/Clinical/?admin=1
• RFA: https://apps.pedsendo.org/Awards/Research/?admin=1
• EDI: https://apps.pedsendo.org/awards/edi/

Online Education

The First Program – Lipid Metabolism – is now available on MedEd On The Go

Pediatric Endocrinology Flipped Classroom: “EndoFlip” consisting of asynchronous audio-visual learning materials that are accessible “on-demand” to support knowledge acquisition as well as case guides to support an interactive classroom experience focused on knowledge application.

PedsENDO365: Calling all Fellows: SMART Goals for a Happy Professional Journey

Tuesday, November 7, 2023, from 3:00 PM – 5:00pm EST

SMART Goals for a Happy Professional Journey is a career development session that provides pediatric endocrine fellows with tools and skills for SMART goal setting. This can be used by fellows to develop individualized learning plans with mentoring from their program faculty or program director.

Learning Objectives:

• By end of this activity, participants will have conducted an inventory of their Values, Interests and Skills and available career paths.
• Assessed whether their interests and skills align with their values.
• Drafted a short term (1- year) and a long-term (5-year) career goal. Created I- SMART (Important,
• Specific, Measurable, Accountable, Realistic, Time limited) learning goals aligned with their career goals.

Speakers: Anshu Gupta, MD, MS, Virginia Commonwealth University, Amy Levenson, MD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kanthi Bangalore Krishna, MD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Pediatric Endocrine Research Fellow FORUM (PERFFORM)

Friday, November 10 @ 12:00 PM EST/9:00 AM PST

Dear Pediatric Endocrine Fellows, The Pediatric Endocrine Research Fellow FORUM is a new PES initiative to support fellows with a passion for cultivating dynamic and impactful research.  Please join us for our long-awaited inaugural event!  The meeting will be an interactive opportunity to meet other fellows from across PES, learn about your co-fellow’s research interests, hear about works in progress, and discuss the ways in which the group can organize to support a community of practice around diverse research interests.

In addition to registering for the Zoom event, we ask that interested fellows also fill out a brief survey of interest (below) to help us best design our first event.   If you are unable to attend the first event, but are interested in being included in future events, please also fill out the survey of interest.

SIG State of the Art: Tips for Setting up a Multidisciplinary Clinic for Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes

Hosted by the Diabetes SIG
Monday, November 13, 2023 @ 4:00 PM EST

Join our upcoming webinar, featuring a panel of specialized healthcare providers with expertise in type 2 diabetes care. The panel includes an endocrinologist, nurse practitioner (NP), registered nurse with CDCES certification, dietitian, and psychologist, who will elaborate on their contributions to type 2 diabetes-focused care. The primary objective of this webinar is to equip members with insights on optimizing the capabilities of their existing personnel currently dedicated to type 1 diabetes care, recognizing that many centers may not have the resources to establish a separate type 2 diabetes program.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn principles of treating insulin resistance as a key to preventing complications of type 2 diabetes
• Understand the focus of the RD role in care of type 2 diabetes
• Know keys to behavioral health assessment related to type 2 diabetes in absence of a psychologist

Speakers: Megan Kelsey, MD, Children’s Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Helen Seagle, RD, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Lauren Gulley, PhD, Children’s Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Claudia Retamal-Munoz, RN, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Mayra Baca, PNP, Children’s Hospital Colorado

All are affiliated with Children’s Hospital Colorado. Megan and Lauren are also faculty at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics

PES Survey: Attitudes Toward Adolescent Bariatric Surgery

Severe obesity is common in pediatrics, yet very few youth who qualify undergo bariatric surgery. Little is known about provider attitudes and practices surrounding bariatric surgery. This survey is all multiple choice so should be able to be filled out quickly!

PES Survey: Attitudes Toward Adolescent Bariatric Surgery (ucdenver.edu)

EDI Spotlight: November is Native American Heritage Month and Diabetes Awareness Month

The Native American Heritage Month is also referred as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. Click here for more information: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative – Pediatric Endocrine Society (pedsendo.org)

EDI Spotlight

NEW! Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Podcast Club: Save the Date

The EDI Task Force invites all to join our inaugural Podcast Club on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, at 8:00 PM ET on the podcast “Moving Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon on the Laverne Cox Show,” moderated by Kara Connelly and J Whitehead.

Listen to the podcast beforehand, then join us for a discussion! 

• Listen on Apple
• Listen on Spotify

EDI Grants from the Endocrine Society:

The following Endocrine Society grants are targeted specifically for underrepresented minorities and due December 9, 2023.

The Future Leaders Advancing Research in Endocrinology (FLARE) program provides structured leadership development and in-depth, hands-on training in topics ranging from grantsmanship to lab management. Basic science, clinical research trainees, and junior faculty from underrecognized minoritized communities who have demonstrated achievement in endocrine research are all invited to apply to FLARE. This program is sponsored by a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Physician leadership is the future of healthcare. The Excellence in Clinical Endocrinology Leadership (ExCEL) program offers comprehensive leadership training and mentorship to early career physicians of communities underrecognized in medicine and science. Whether you are just beginning as an endocrine fellow or navigating the next steps in your career beyond fellowship, the ExCEL program will help you build leadership skills, explore opportunities for advancement, and expand your network of peers and colleagues

MAP Spotlight: BioMarin: Update to the Vosoritide (Voxzogo^TM) indication in USA

On October 20, 2023 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended approval of Voxzogo to children with Achondroplasia of all age groups with open epiphyses under accelerated approval program (VOXZOGO.COM).  Previously, in 2021, the FDA approved Voxzogo for children with Achondroplasia over 5 years of age with open epiphyses. Read More: New Meds and Tech from the PES Drugs & Therapeutics Committee – VOXZOGO-UPDATE – Pediatric Endocrine Society (pedsendo.org)

New Drugs and Therapeutics Update for Jardiance and Synjardy

Prepared on behalf of PES Drugs and Therapeutics Committee by Christine Yu, MD. Edited by Sowmya Krishna, MD and Anna Ryabets-Lienhard, DO

Jardiance® (empagliflozin) and Synjardy® (empagliflozin and metformin hydrochlorothiazide) were approved by the FDA for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus for children ≥ 10 years of age on June 20, 2023. Empagliflozin is a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor which blocks renal re-uptake of glucose, promoting glycosuria and lowering blood glucose levels. Empagliflozin resulted in significant changes in adjusted HbA1c compared to placebo. Hypoglycemia and urinary tract infections were more common with empagliflozin compared to placebo. The initial dose of Jardiance® is 10 mg tablets. It is also available in 25 mg tablets. Synjardy® is available for twice daily dosing as 5 mg empagliflozin/500 mg metformin, 5 mg empagliflozin/1000 mg metformin, 12.5 mg empagliflozin/500 mg metformin, and 12.5 mg empagliflozin/1000 mg metformin. Click here for more information: https://pedsendo.org/new-meds-and-tech/jardiance-empagliflozin-and-synjardy-empagliflozin-and-metformin-hydrochlorothiazide/

New Meds and Tech from PES Drugs and Therapeutics committee: Palovarotene (Sohonos^TM – Ipsen Pharmaceuticals Inc.)

By: Ambika Ashraf, MD and Anna Ryabets-Lienhard, DO
Update: 9/10/2023

On August 17^th, 2023, FDA approved Palovarotene (SohonosTM) for the treatment of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) in girls ≥ 8 years old and in boys ≥ 10 years old and adults.  It is a selective gamma retinoic acid receptor (RARγ) agonist, designed to inhibit chondrogenesis and reduce new abnormal bone formation in FOP [1]. Sohonos is available in 1, 1.5, 2.5, 5, and 10 mg capsules [2]. The suggested daily oral dose is 5 mg or a weight-based equivalent for pediatric patients under 14 years of age, taken after a full meal at a consistent time each day [2]. The dose can be modified/increased for flare-up of symptoms [1, 2]. It has an FDA issued black-box warning regarding teratogenicity and premature epiphyseal closure [2]. Clinicians must ensure pregnancy prevention in child-bearing age patients and closely monitor growth and skeletal maturation in growing pediatric patients (FDA label, [1, 2]).

References:

Pignolo, R.J., et al., Reduction of New Heterotopic Ossification (HO) in the Open-Label, Phase 3 MOVE Trial of Palovarotene for Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP). J Bone Miner Res, 2023. 38(3): p. 381-394.

FDA label. 2023 label (fda.gov).

Read more: https://pedsendo.org/new-meds-and-tech/palovarotene-sohonostm-ipsen-pharmaceuticals-inc/

Fellow Spotlight: Patricia Chu, MD

Meet Patricia: October Fellow Spotlight – Patricia Chu, MD – Pediatric Endocrine Society (pedsendo.org)

Historical Tidbit: Robert T. Morris (1857-1945) and Human Ovarian Transplantation

Submitted by Alan D. Rogol, MD, PhD

Read more: Historical Tidbit: Robert T. Morris (1857-1945) and Human Ovarian Transplantation – Pediatric Endocrine Society (pedsendo.org)