Elizabeth A. Kiracofe, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and the founder of Airia Comprehensive Dermatology, located in downtown Chicago's Fulton Market District, where she practices medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology.

How to Get Involved in Community Service in Dermatology, With Elizabeth Kiracofe, MD

, Mona Shahriari, MD, of the Yale School of Medicine, continues her discussion with Elizabeth A. Kiracofe, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Airia Comprehensive Dermatology, about practical ways physicians can engage in community service without becoming overwhelmed by logistical or time-related barriers.

Kiracofe emphasizes that meaningful involvement does not need to begin with large-scale initiatives, instead pointing to the value of small, actionable steps. Referencing her work with My Block, My Hood, My City, she highlights the organization’s guiding principle, focusing on one simple action each day to improve the lives of others. This philosophy, she explains, reframes community engagement as something accessible and incremental, rather than requiring significant planning or institutional backing. Whether through small acts of service or participation in existing programs, she suggests that consistent, manageable contributions can evolve into more substantial efforts over time.

Kiracofe also underscores that service does not have to be limited to clinical or dermatologic care. She describes her involvement with the The Daisy Foundation, where philanthropic work has included supporting underserved schools through initiatives such as funding essential resources like playgrounds, teacher spaces, and basic household appliances for students in need. Through events like the organization’s “holiday magic” program, Kiracofe and collaborators have built relationships with local schools, which later enabled more targeted dermatologic outreach, including eczema education and screenings for hundreds of students.

A key takeaway from her experience is the importance of relationship-building in facilitating sustainable outreach. Kiracofe notes that earlier attempts to engage directly with school systems were met with skepticism, but partnerships developed through community organizations created trust and opened doors for ongoing programming. These efforts ultimately allowed her to integrate dermatologic education into broader community initiatives, demonstrating how nonclinical entry points can lead to meaningful health interventions.

The discussion also addresses barriers that often prevent dermatologists from participating in traditional free clinics, including administrative complexity, unfamiliar electronic medical records, and limited clinical infrastructure. In response, Kiracofe outlines a vision for simplifying participation through a “clinic-in-a-box” model, enabling physicians to deliver care directly in community settings such as shelters with minimal logistical burden. By bringing essential tools and support staff to patients, rather than relying on centralized systems, she suggests more clinicians could realistically engage in outreach.

Ultimately, Kiracofe frames the challenge not as a lack of willingness among physicians, but as a need to reduce friction. She and Shahriari emphasize that creating accessible pathways to service, much like simplifying patient adherence strategies in clinical practice, can empower more clinicians to contribute. The conversation reinforces that impactful community involvement begins with small, intentional actions and grows through connection, adaptability, and a focus on practicality.

Editor’s note: This segment was summarized with the help of AI tools.

Shahriari M, Kiracofe E. The Medical Sisterhood: Exposure is Power-Women in Medicine Creating Opportunity, With Elizabeth Kiracofe, MD. April 30, 2026. Accessed May 4, 2026. 

https://www.hcplive.com/view/the-medical-sisterhood-exposure-is-power-women-medicine-creating-opportunity-elizabeth-kiracofe-md

Videos

In this segment from the April episode of The Medical Sisterhood podcast, the speakers discussed simple ways for physicians to get involved in community service without feeling overwhelmed.

Dermatology

The HCPLive dermatology page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on skin disease. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for dermatologic conditions, and more.

News

news page, resources on the topics of disease- and specialty-specific medical news and expert insight can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on health care research, treatment, and drug development.

Clinical

clinical page is a resource for content on every specialty, disease, and topic available on our medical news site.

Podcasts

podcasts page features a feed of medical news and interview podcast series, including DocTalk, Lungcast, Derm Discussions, and Heart Trials.

Abigail Brooks is an assistant managing editor for 

She joined MJH Life Sciences in August 2023 shortly after graduating from Monmouth University where she earned her BA in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations/Journalism and later an MA in Interactive Digital Media. She enjoys traveling, running, and reading books. She can be reached at abrooks@mjhlifesciences.com.

Mirum Pharmaceuticals reported volixibat met the primary endpoint in the phase 2b VISTAS trial in adults with primary sclerosing 

 (PSC) and cholestatic pruritus, a symptom with limited treatment options and no approved PSC-specific therapies in the US.

The company said the investigational ileal bile acid transporter (IBAT) inhibitor produced a statistically significant placebo-adjusted reduction in itch severity over 28 weeks, in their May 4, 2026 announcement.

“In PSC, a disease that has been historically difficult to study and treat, volixibat delivered statistically significant and clinically meaningful reductions in cholestatic pruritus,” Joanne Quan, MD, chief medical officer at Mirum, said in the company’s announcement.

 The topline readout is likely to draw attention because pruritus is a major driver of impaired quality of life in PSC, a chronic cholestatic liver disease that can progress to cirrhosis, liver failure, cholangiocarcinoma, and transplantation.

According to the press release, VISTAS was a global, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2b study enrolling 158 patients with PSC.

Patients were stratified into a primary analysis cohort with moderate to severe itch at baseline (n = 111) and a secondary cohort with mild itch (n = 47), based on Adult Itch Reported Outcome (ItchRO) scores. The prespecified primary endpoint was assessed in the moderate-to-severe pruritus cohort.

In that cohort, patients assigned to volixibat 20 mg twice daily had a least squares mean change in Adult ItchRO score of −2.72 vs −1.08 with placebo, for a placebo-adjusted difference of −1.64 (

 Mirum also reported that 55.6% of volixibat-treated patients achieved at least a 2-point reduction in Adult ItchRO score compared with 26.3% in the placebo group (

Serum bile acids also decreased relative to placebo, with a least squares mean difference of −35.8 (

 The company said improvements in pruritus were observed within 2 weeks, although full data have not yet been presented publicly.

Safety findings were described as generally consistent with IBAT inhibition.

Across the primary and secondary cohorts, treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 93.5% of patients receiving volixibat and 84.0% receiving placebo; grade 3 or higher events occurred in 13.0% and 11.1%, respectively.

Serious treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in 10.4% vs 6.2%, and study discontinuation due to adverse events occurred in 9.1% vs 2.5%.

 Diarrhea-related discontinuation was reported in 3.9% of volixibat-treated patients and 1.2% of placebo recipients.

 The company also noted elevations in alanine aminotransferase and bilirubin.

PSC remains an area of substantial unmet need. Major liver society guidance notes that no medical therapy has been conclusively shown to alter long-term disease course, and management is largely supportive, addressing dominant strictures, inflammatory bowel disease, surveillance for hepatobiliary malignancy, and symptom control.

Pruritus is commonly managed with off-label approaches such as bile acid sequestrants, rifampin, opioid antagonists, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, but tolerability and efficacy are variable.

Volixibat belongs to the same broad drug class as maralixibat and odevixibat, IBAT inhibitors already approved for pruritus in certain pediatric cholestatic disorders.

 By reducing enterohepatic bile acid recirculation, these agents may lessen systemic bile acid exposure and cholestatic itch. Whether this mechanism will translate into a favorable benefit-risk profile in PSC, where liver biochemistry fluctuations and disease heterogeneity complicate interpretation, will depend on fuller disclosure of trial details.

For clinicians, the main significance of the VISTAS readout is symptomatic rather than disease-modifying. The reported effect size on ItchRO appears potentially relevant for patients with burdensome itch, but the absence of peer-reviewed data, subgroup analyses, and detailed laboratory outcomes limits interpretation. It also remains unclear how regulators will weigh a pruritus endpoint in PSC, especially in the setting of liver test elevations and higher discontinuation rates.

Mirum said a pre–new drug application meeting with the FDA is planned for summer 2026, with a possible submission in the second half of the year.

 Full results are expected at the European Association for the Study of the Liver International Liver Congress on May 30, 2026.

Those data should help clarify durability of response, safety over time, and whether any patient subgroups derived greater benefit.

Class: ileal bile acid transporter inhibitor  

Safety: GI AEs, ALT/bilirubin elevations  

Mirum Pharmaceuticals. Mirum Pharmaceuticals announces primary endpoint met in VISTAS study of volixibat in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis. Business Wire. May 4, 2026. Accessed May 4, 2026. 

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260504069726/en/Mirum-Pharmaceuticals-Announces-Primary-Endpoint-Met-in-VISTAS-Study-of-Volixibat-in-Patients-with-Primary-Sclerosing-Cholangitis

Bowlus CL, Lim JK, Lindor KD. AGA clinical practice update on surveillance for hepatobiliary cancers in primary sclerosing cholangitis: expert review. 

Chapman R, Fevery J, Kalloo A, et al. Diagnosis and management of primary sclerosing cholangitis. 

Gunaydin M, Bozkurt Y, Demirci H, et al. Ileal bile acid transporter inhibitors in cholestatic pruritus and cholestatic liver disease: current evidence and future directions. 

Articles

Volixibat, an investigational IBAT inhibitor, achieved statistically significant, clinically meaningful reductions in cholestatic pruritus in adults with PSC in the global phase 2b VISTAS trial. In the moderate-to-severe itch cohort (n=111), Adult ItchRO improved −2.72 vs −1.08 with placebo (difference −1.64; P<.0001), with responses emerging by week 2 and bile acids declining. Adverse events were common, with diarrhea-related discontinuations and ALT/bilirubin elevations. With no approved PSC-specific therapies, the signal is symptomatic pending full EASL data and FDA discussions in 2026.

Volixibat reduced cholestatic pruritus in phase 2b primary sclerosing cholangitis data, with diarrhea and liver test elevations reported.

Hepatology

Cholangitis

cholangitis page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into cholangitis can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on research, treatment, and drug development in PBC, PSC, and more!

Volixibat Improves Pruritus in Phase 2b PSC Trial, With GI and Liver Safety Signals

Ariann Chelli, LCSW, LCADC, MBA, is the clinical director at Desert Hope Treatment Center, an American Addiction Centers facility.

Methamphetamine use disorder presents one of the most challenging clinical scenarios in 

medicine today. While national attention has focused on the opioid epidemic, methamphetamine-related overdose deaths increased nearly 5-fold between 2012 and 2018, with polysubstance use involving stimulants now driving a significant portion of overdose mortality.

Treatment admissions for methamphetamine use continue to rise, yet our clinical toolkit remains frustratingly limited compared to what we can offer patients with opioid or alcohol use disorders.

 This needs to change, sooner rather than later.

Methamphetamine Use Disorder Has No Standard Medical Detox Protocol

The fundamental challenge is straightforward: we have no FDA-approved medications for methamphetamine use disorder and no established medical detox protocols.

 Clinicians must manage acute withdrawal and support early recovery using only symptomatic treatment and behavioral interventions. This represents a significant disparity in our healthcare system that directly affects patient outcomes.

Methamphetamine’s mechanism of action—massive dopamine release and reuptake inhibition—creates profound neurochemical disruption. Chronic use depletes dopamine stores and downregulates receptors, resulting in severe anhedonia and cognitive impairment.

Unlike opioid withdrawal, which is time-limited and medically manageable with established protocols, methamphetamine withdrawal can persist for weeks with symptoms including intensive cravings; hypersomnia (sometimes > 20 hours daily initially); depression severe enough to warrant suicide precautions; vivid dreams or nightmares; a slowing of thoughts, actions, and speech; as well as increased appetite.

The absence of standardized detox protocols means clinical approaches vary significantly between facilities. Some programs provide comprehensive psychiatric monitoring with targeted symptom management, such as antipsychotics for persistent psychosis, sleep aids for the initial hypersomnia phase, and antidepressants when indicated. Others offer minimal medical intervention. This inconsistency contributes to high rates of treatment dropout during the acute withdrawal phase when symptoms are most severe and patients have the fewest internal resources to manage them.

Post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) presents additional challenges. Patients may experience episodic cravings, mood instability, cognitive difficulties, and anhedonia for months into recovery.

Executive function deficits can impair patients’ ability to engage with traditional talk therapy or follow complex treatment plans. Neuroimaging studies show that while significant recovery occurs, some changes may persist for a year or more, requiring clinicians to adjust expectations and treatment intensity accordingly.

Evidence-Based Treatment Options for Methamphetamine Use Disorder: What Clinicians Can Use Now

Current evidence-based approaches rely heavily on behavioral interventions. Contingency management, which provides tangible rewards for verified abstinence, shows the strongest evidence for efficacy.

 Cognitive-behavioral therapy, community reinforcement approaches, and peer support all demonstrate benefits.

The Matrix Model, an intensive outpatient approach combining these elements, has shown promise specifically for stimulant use disorders.

 However, these interventions require significant patient engagement during a period when neurochemical changes make engagement extraordinarily difficult.

Research into pharmacological options continues, with studies examining various approaches: bupropion and naltrexone combination therapy, modafinil, topiramate, and others targeting different neurotransmitter systems.

While some show modest promise in reducing use or supporting abstinence, none have achieved FDA approval. The field urgently needs continued investment in medication development research.

Clinicians can optimize outcomes within current limitations by providing a comprehensive assessment for co-occurring disorders, particularly 

, PTSD, and ADHD, which are prevalent in this population.

Extended residential treatment or intensive outpatient programming during the initial months allows for appropriate structure and support during neurological recovery. Harm reduction approaches, including safer use education and connection to services regardless of abstinence status, keep patients engaged and reduce mortality risk.

Addressing methamphetamine use disorder requires clinical creativity, patience, and realistic expectations about recovery timelines. Until we develop effective medications and standardized protocols, clinicians must rely on comprehensive behavioral programming, treatment of co-occurring conditions, and sustained support through the extended recovery period this disorder demands.

 Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States, 1999–2018

. National Center for Health Statistics; 2020. NCHS Data Brief No. 356.

SAMHSA. Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the United States: Results from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. www.samhsa.gov. Published 2021. 

https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt39443/2021NSDUHNNR122322/2021NSDUHNNR122322.htm

An Update on Epidemiology, Pharmacology, Clinical Phenomenology, and Treatment Literature

Loss of Dopamine Transporters in Methamphetamine Abusers Recovers with Protracted Abstinence

Fleury MJ, Cao Z, Grenier G, Huỳnh C. Predictors of dropout from treatment among patients using specialized addiction treatment centers. 

Volkow ND, Michaelides M, Baler R. The Neuroscience of Drug Reward and Addiction. 

Brown HD, DeFulio A. Contingency management for the treatment of methamphetamine use disorder: A systematic review. 

Lee NK, Rawson RA. A systematic review of cognitive and behavioural therapies for methamphetamine dependence. 

Obert JL, McCann MJ, Marinelli-Casey P, et al. The matrix model of outpatient stimulant abuse treatment: history and description. 

Trivedi MH, Walker R, Ling W, et al. Bupropion and Naltrexone in Methamphetamine Use Disorder. 

Anderson AL, Li SH, Biswas K, et al. Modafinil for the treatment of methamphetamine dependence. 

Moszczynska A. Current and Emerging Treatments for Methamphetamine Use Disorder. 

Methamphetamine use disorder is escalating, with a sharp rise in overdose deaths and treatment admissions, yet lacks FDA-approved pharmacotherapies and standardized detoxification protocols. Withdrawal is often protracted, featuring severe hypersomnia, depression, cravings, and cognitive slowing, with PAWS extending symptoms for months. Facility-to-facility variability in medical and psychiatric support likely contributes to early dropout. Current best-supported treatments are behavioral, particularly contingency management, alongside CBT-based and community reinforcement approaches, including the Matrix Model. Optimizing care requires structured programming, comorbidity management, harm reduction, and sustained longitudinal support.

Without FDA-approved medications or standardized detox protocols, clinicians face unique challenges treating methamphetamine addiction.

Psychiatry

Psychiatry condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on mental illnesses. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and more.

Addiction

Addiction medicine condition center page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into clinical addiction can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on addiction therapy research, treatment, and drug development.

Treating Methamphetamine Use Disorder Without FDA-Approved Medications

Joseph Murray, MD, is a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic.

Celiac Disease in 2026: Diagnosis, Management, and the Drug Pipeline

Celiac disease is one of the most common autoimmune conditions in the world, yet it carries a distinction that sets it apart from nearly every other chronic GI disease gastroenterologists manage: there is no approved drug to treat it. While the inflammatory bowel diseases have benefited from decades of investment and a crowded therapeutic pipeline, celiac disease has largely been left behind.

At Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2026 in Chicago, IL, Joseph Murray, MD, a gastroenterologist and professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic, outlined where the field stands on diagnosis, long-term management, and the road ahead for drug development.

For decades, celiac disease diagnosis required endoscopic biopsy of the small intestine, but that paradigm is shifting. When the tissue transglutaminase IgA (tTG-IgA) antibody test returns at > 10 times the upper limit of normal, the probability of celiac disease is high enough that a biopsy-avoidance strategy is now established practice in pediatrics and is increasingly being considered for adults.

The 2023 ACG guidelines recommend EGD with multiple duodenal biopsies for confirmation of diagnosis in both children and adults, but also suggest that in adults who are unwilling or unable to undergo endoscopy, a combination of high-level tTG-IgA exceeding 10 times the upper limit of normal with a positive endomysial antibody on a second blood sample may serve as a diagnosis of likely celiac disease. A follow-up biopsy should be considered at 2 years, given that the median time to achieve mucosal healing is 3 years.

Murray emphasized, however, that at least half of patients do not reach that serologic threshold and still require endoscopy, and timing is critical. If a patient goes gluten-free before the biopsy is performed, intestinal healing may produce a false-negative result, obscuring the diagnosis entirely.

"It's very important that as a specialty we recognize the time dependency of accurate diagnosis," Murray told 

. "We want patients to get a diagnosis so they can get on treatment quickly — but they need to still be eating gluten when that biopsy is done."

Murray additionally stressed that a celiac disease diagnosis should not end with dietary counseling. Newly diagnosed patients require evaluation for nutritional deficiencies, anemia, and bone density loss, which can be substantial. Referral to a dietitian with celiac-specific expertise is essential, as well as long-term gastroenterologist follow-up, including repeat serology at 6 months to confirm antibody decline and follow-up biopsy at 1 to 2 years to verify mucosal healing.

Ongoing symptoms despite a gluten-free diet should prompt evaluation for commonly associated conditions, including microscopic colitis, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, and pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, and, in some cases, a reassessment of the original diagnosis.

"We would not discharge a patient with Crohn's disease from our care," Murray said. "It shouldn't be any different for celiac disease."

The most consequential gap in celiac disease management is pharmacologic, with no drug currently approved for the condition. Murray acknowledged the field's checkered history with drug development: roughly a dozen agents have entered clinical development, with many stumbling or failing.

The pipeline now includes more than 30 investigational agents across multiple stages of development, with active programs targeting IL-15-mediated inflammation, enzyme therapies, and immune tolerance induction. Among the more closely watched candidates is TEV-53408, an anti-IL-15 monoclonal antibody from Teva that recently received FDA Fast Track designation and is currently in phase 2 evaluation.

Murray noted that the gluten-free diet, the current standard of care in celiac disease, fails more patients than is widely appreciated. An estimated 30 to 40% do not achieve mucosal healing despite their best efforts, and a similar proportion experience significant symptoms from accidental gluten exposures.

“The gluten free diet is very easy for me to say ‘go gluten free.’ That's sounds easy, but the living of that is not easy, and it's not particularly effective,” he said. "I'm optimistic that we will have better treatments, but we have to prove that they work."

Editor's note: Murray reports no relevant disclosures.

Murray JA. DRUG DEVELOPMENT IN CELIAC DISEASE: HOW CAN WE GET FROM THE LAB TO CLINIC? Session presented at: Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2026; Chicago, IL; May 2–5, 2026.

Rubio-Tapia A, Hill ID, Semrad C, et al. American College of Gastroenterology Guidelines Update: Diagnosis and Management of Celiac Disease. 

. 2023;118(1):59-76. doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000002075

Teva. Teva Celiac Disease Candidate Granted Fast Track Designation by US FDA. May 27, 2025. Accessed May 3, 2026. 

https://ir.tevapharm.com/news-and-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2025/Teva-Celiac-Disease-Candidate-Granted-Fast-Track-Designation-by-US-FDA/default.aspx

Murray breaks down what gastroenterologists need to know about celiac disease diagnosis and management.

Gastroenterology

Gastroenterology condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on digestive and GI conditions. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for 

, IBS and IBD, Crohn's disease, and more.

Conference

 conference coverage page features articles, videos, and expert-led live coverage from major medical meetings throughout the year.

Strategic Alliance Partnership

Confronting Unmet Needs in Celiac Disease, With Joseph Murray, MD

Marla Dubinsky, MD, is chief of the division of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition and co-director of the Susan and Leonard Feinstein IBD Clinical Center, Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine.

The Drug Holiday Dilemma in IBD — and How SC Infliximab Changes It

Treatment interruptions with anti-TNFs are common in clinical practice, driven by loss of response, safety concerns, pregnancy, or patient preference. Historically, reintroducing the drug intravenously has carried meaningful risk.

However, new post hoc data from the phase 3 LIBERTY trials suggest that subcutaneous (SC) infliximab may offer a safer, more durable path back to disease control for patients with 

Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC)

 following a drug holiday. The analysis was presented by Marla Dubinsky, MD, a gastroenterologist and professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2026 in Chicago, IL.

"Historically, about 50% of patients are off anti-TNF therapy over the first 2 to 3 years," Dubinsky told 

. "Before we understood drug levels and antibodies, we just waited for people to lose response and then moved on."Before we understood drug levels, safety, antibodies, there were quite a number of patients who were stopping it, predominantly for loss of response, with a large number of them associated with anti drug antibodies because they were not proactively optimized. We just waited for people to lose response, got a drug level and said ‘You've now got antibodies, I have to move on.’”

The LIBERTY-CD and LIBERTY-UC trials randomly assigned patients who responded to IV infliximab induction to either SC infliximab 120 mg or placebo every other week through week 54. Patients in the placebo arm who experienced disease recurrence after a minimum 16-week drug holiday were eligible to receive SC infliximab 240 mg, double the approved maintenance dose, as a form of reintroduction.

The present post hoc analysis evaluated 51 CD and 77 UC patients from the placebo arms, assessing clinical, biochemical, endoscopic, and pharmacokinetic outcomes through week 102.

Early clinical responses emerged within 8 weeks of SC infliximab initiation and were sustained throughout the study period, with partial clinical response rates of 92.3% in CD and 96.6% in UC at treatment end. Fecal calprotectin remission was achieved in 61.1% of CD patients and 65.2% of UC patients, with endoscopic response rates of 64.0% and 68.8%, respectively. Additionally, treatment persistence through week 102 was 72.3% in CD and 61.9% in UC.

Dubinsky highlighted the parallel between clinical recapture and pharmacokinetic recovery as a key finding. Serum infliximab levels rose markedly after SC reintroduction and remained stable, a pattern that tracked directly with clinical response.

“You see this parallel where you get this recapturing in 8 weeks, and when you look at the trough level, you then see you've recaptured the trough level that you stay at throughout that period of you now being in the 240 arm,” she said. “I think the fact that you see that association of the PK coming back after no drug level, or a honeymoon during that period, and you see that clinical response parallel the recapture of the trough level, or that consistent, sustained drug level that we're used to, really tells you that you recapture because you're able to bring back the drug concentration that's associated with response.”

Dubinsky additionally highlighted immunogenicity findings as among the most clinically significant data from her research. Reintroduction of IV infliximab after a drug holiday carries well-documented risk of infusion reactions, driven by a surge in anti-drug antibodies (ADAs) upon re-exposure. SC reintroduction appeared to sidestep this problem. Despite high ADA rates at the time of SC reintroduction, antibody status had minimal impact on outcomes, with approximately three quarters of patients maintaining treatment persistence regardless of ADA status.

Dubinsky noted that SC infliximab 240 mg is not currently FDA-approved for this indication in the US, but expressed hope that publication of these data would support conversations with payers and health authorities about its clinical utility.

Editor's note: Dubinsky reports relevant disclosures with AbbVie, Abivax, Astra Zeneca, BMS, Celltrion, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Johnson and Johnson, Merck, Pfizer, Prometheus Labs, Roche, Sanofi, Spyre, Takeda, and others.

Dubinsky MC, Sands BE, Abraham BP, et al. Recapturing Disease Control With Subcutaneous Infliximab After a Drug Holiday Following Intravenous Infliximab Induction: A Post Hoc Analysis of LIBERTY-CD and -UC Studies. Presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2026; Chicago, IL; May 2–5, 2026.

Rubin DT. Restarting Biologic Agents After a Drug Holiday. 

Marla Dubinsky, MD, explains LIBERTY post hoc data showing SC infliximab 240 mg recaptured clinical response within 8 weeks in CD and UC patients following a drug holiday.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

On the HCPLive inflammatory bowel disease page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into IBD can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on IBD and more.

Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative Colitis condition center page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into colitis can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on UC research, treatment, and drug development.

Subcutaneous Infliximab Recaptures Disease Control After Treatment Interruption in IBD

Laurie Keefer, PhD, is a clinical health psychologist and professor of medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Laurie Keefer, PhD, makes the case for integrating mental health, social determinants, and brain-gut behavior therapies into routine GI care.

Rethinking Gut Health: Social Determinants, Mental Health, and Brain-Gut Therapies

Anjali Byale, MD, is a fellow at West Virginia University School of Medicine.

Anjali Byale, MD, reviews data supporting EUS-guided procedures as first-line options for high-risk patients with cholecystitis or malignant gastric outlet obstruction.

EUS-Guided Procedures Outperform Traditional Interventions for High-Risk GI Patients

Sobia Laique, MD, is a gastroenterologist and transplant hepatologist at Cleveland Clinic.

New paired biopsy data show histologic regression after metabolic bariatric surgery in compensated MASH patients, challenging the irreversibility of cirrhosis.

MASH / MASLD

The HCPLive MASH & MASLD page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and steatohepatitis. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for fatty liver disease, steatohepatitis, and more.

Histologic Evidence of MASH Cirrhosis Regression After Metabolic Bariatric Surgery, With Sobia Laique, MD

Allison Wu, MD, MPH, is a general pediatric gastroenterologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

Wu describes her research linking low food access and food insecurity to higher childhood obesity risk, highlighting the need for early, multilevel prevention strategies.

Obesity Management

Obesity Management condition center page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into clinical weight management can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on obesity research, treatment, and drug development.

Why Food Access Matters in Childhood Obesity Prevention, With Allison Wu, MD, MPH

Basile Njei, MD, PhD, MPH, is an assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine.

Njei explains the evolving treatment landscape for MASLD and how it impacts the cost-effectiveness of noninvasive tests for screening.

Optimizing MASLD Screening in the Era of Liver-Directed Therapy, With Basile Njei, MD, PhD, MPH

Stay updated with the latest healthcare breakthroughs, including notable FDA approvals and filings, in this week’s essential news roundup.

Endocrinology

The HCPLive endocrinology page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on endocrine system conditions. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for diabetes, hormonal disease, and more.

Pulmonology

Infectious Disease condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on respiratory health. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for asthma, COPD, interstitial lung disease, COVID-19, and more.

The HCPFive: Top News for Healthcare Providers from the Week of 04/26

Jignesh Shah, MD, is a gastroenterologist at Gastroenterology Consultants, PA.

Shah describes the science and real-world use of gluten sensors, with insights on how these tools may support patients with celiac disease without replacing standard care.

The Emerging Role of Gluten Detection Sensors in Celiac Disease Care, With Jignesh Shah, MD

Tim Smith joined the MJH Life Sciences team in 2022 and is currently an associate editor for HCPLive. He is also the executive producer of two podcasts: Skin of Color Savvy and The Medical Sisterhood. Previously, he was the producer of the Lungcast podcast. He graduated from UC Berkeley and worked in multimedia journalism as a staff writer prior to joining MJH. You can contact him at tsmith@mjhlifesciences.com.

This iteration of the ‘Month in Review’ series highlights top headlines covered in April in dermatology news, including FDA decisions.

Plaque Psoriasis

The HCPLive plaque psoriasis page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on psoriasis. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for psoriatic disease, and more.

7 Dermatology Headlines You Missed in April 2026

Elizabeth Kiracofe, MD, speaks in this segment of her recent The Medical Sisterhood podcast about her career and other community initiatives.

Getting Involved in the Community as a Dermatologist, With Elizabeth Kiracofe, MD

Rachael Sood, NP, is a diabetes nurse practitioner and Owner and CEO of The Diabetes Collective.

Sood shares her thoughts on the recent announcement by the FDA, limiting pharmacies’ ability to compound semaglutide, tirzepatide, and liraglutide from bulk substances.

Latest News

How to Get Involved in Community Service in Dermatology, With Elizabeth Kiracofe, MD

Volixibat Improves Pruritus in Phase 2b PSC Trial, With GI and Liver Safety Signals

Treating Methamphetamine Use Disorder Without FDA-Approved Medications

Confronting Unmet Needs in Celiac Disease, With Joseph Murray, MD

Subcutaneous Infliximab Recaptures Disease Control After Treatment Interruption in IBD