Meeting reports
8th HAExpert Annual Meeting
The 8th HAExpert Meeting took place in Berlin, on 20th and 21st April, 2023. We were joined by our esteemed Co-Chairs, Prof Marcus Maurer and Prof Markus Magerl, as well as 20 other faculty members who gave presentations on important topics related to hereditary angioedema (HAE).
The programme for day one commenced with an introductory session on HAE titled “ABCs of HAE,” covering topics such as Angioedema, the Burden of the disease, and the Current management of HAE. The day concluded with an engaging workshop in which physicians were encouraged to put themselves in the shoes of patients, discussing important considerations and effective communication throughout the patient journey. This workshop also included a visit from a patient with HAE who gave their perspectives on family planning.
Day two started with a presentation by Michal Rutkowski, the Co-founder and President of HAEi Poland, who shared his personal experiences of living with HAE. The day also included informative presentations on the global initiatives of HAEi and ACARE, genetics of HAE, emergency management of laryngeal oedema, and comorbidities and concomitant medications.
Attendees also participated in an interactive game-show style workshop where they went head-to-head to debate the benefits and barriers associated with long-term prophylaxis.
In the afternoon, an interactive panel discussion was held focussing on drug development and clinical studies in HAE, allowing for a dynamic exchange of ideas between the audience and panellists, followed by presentations focusing on future treatment options that are on the horizon for HAE management.
Day 1
ABCs of HAE:
Angioedema
- Clinical symptoms and pathophysiology
Dr Clemens Schöffl (Austria) - Differential diagnosis and misdiagnosis of HAE
Dr Thomas Buttgereit (Germany)
Burden of HAE
- Impact of HAE on patients
Dr Stefan Cimbollek (Spain) - Monitoring HAE and treatment outcomes
PD Dr Karsten Weller (Germany)
Current management of HAE
- Current modalities, goals, therapeutic targets and treatment options
Dr Mar Guilarte (Spain) - Treating special HAE populations
Dr Paola Triggianese (Italy)
Workshop: Explaining HAE to patients
Prof Henriette Farkas (Hungary), Prof Laurence Bouillet (France), Dr Isabelle Boccon-Gibod (France), Dr Roman Hakl (Czech Republic), Prof Mauro Cancian (Italy)
Day 2
- Why we are here: the HAE patient journey
Michal Rutkowski (HAEi, Poland) - The European and global HAE landscape: initiatives, networks and activities
Prof Marcus Maurer (Germany) - HAE with normal C1-INH and genetics of HAE
Dr Alberto López Lera (Spain) - Comorbidities and concomitant medications in HAE
Dr Linda Björkman (Sweden) - Laryngeal oedema in the emergency room
Dr Susanne Trainotti (Germany)
Interactive panel discussion
- Drug developnent and clinical studies in HAE
Moderator: Prof Marcus Maurer (Germany)
Participants: Prof Markus Magerl (Germany), Dr Danny Cohn (Netherlands), Dr Mar Guilarte (Spain), PD Dr Tamar Kinaciyan (Austria), Dr Karen Pinachyan (CSL Behring, Europe) - Future treatment options and insights into new data
Prof Markus Magerl (Germany), Dr Danny Cohn (Netherlands)
Workshop: Prophylaxis for all – benefits vs. barriers
Prof Marcus Maurer (Germany), Prof Markus Magerl (Germany), Dr Andrea Zanichelli (Italy)
Closing the meeting, the Co-Chairs emphasised the importance of the HAExpert Meeting in bringing together physicians from across the world to share their knowledge of HAE, and sounded a call to action for the next generation of HAE experts.