Marked by increased platelet destruction and/or inadequate platelet production, chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) afflicts anywhere from 60,000 to 100,000 people in the United States. Experts estimate that the incidence of chronic ITP seen in the population treated within the Veterans Health Administration (VA) equals or surpasses that of the public at large — and is expected to increase as more women serve in the military and qualify for health benefits.

With the preponderance of platelet problems inherent in ITP, patients can suffer from small vessel bleeds, causing bruises, nosebleeds, bleeding from the gums during dental work, other bleeds that may be hard to stop — and even rare, fatal gastrointestinal or intracerebral bleeds. The primary therapeutic goal is to raise platelet counts to high enough levels to prevent bleeding using the least toxic therapy, and guidelines recommend oral glucocorticoids as initial treatment. What's more, there are a number of emerging treatments for refractory ITP including rituximab, TPO receptor agonists, and inhibitors of Syk kinase.

In this on-demand webcast, three experts will discuss the epidemiology, differential diagnosis, and disease course of ITP with insights into comorbidities and high-risk groups most often seen in the VA. In addition to reviewing current guideline-based treatment strategies, panelists will provide data from clinical trials about promising new therapies and their mechanisms of action as well as how these new options may fit into patient management. Case studies will provide participants with the opportunity to participate in the educational process, as interactive questions are posed to the audience and the answers are discussed by our panel.

The convenient webcast format of this program provides an opportunity for physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists and other health care professionals involved in the care of patients with ITP to update their knowledge and learn about promising new alternatives to treating ITP based on their individual needs and schedules.