We welcome Hector Ventura (USA) as the ISCP President for 2020 and Jack Tan (Singapore) as the President Elect.
Due to the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus and the travel restrictions, several international meetings and conferences have been cancelled or postponed whilst others such as ACC.20/WCC are proceeding in a virtual setting. Unfortunately the 25th Annual Scientific Meeting of the ISCP that was to be held on the 8 – 9 May in Miami, Florida is amongst the international meetings that have been cancelled. However, planning is underway for the 26th Annual Scientific Meeting which will be held in Singapore in 2021.
The international medical and scientific communities have come together to share information and are collaborating in several clinical trials. We appreciate the access to the John Hopkins University resource on Global Cases of COVID-19: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html. Some key medical journals are including collections on the pandemic. Content related to the Covid-19 pandemic is freely available in the New England Journal of Medicine. Updates on COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment are available at the JAMA Network COVID-19 collection and Lancet has a COVID-19 Resource Centre. Nature News also provides updates on the coronavirus pandemic.
Thank you to Felipe Martinez, Gheorghe- Andrei Dan and Maurizio Volterrani for providing some information on what is happening in their countries during the pandemic.
Don’t forget to check the Highlights and Newsfeed on the ISCP website.
Please forward any news or information on upcoming conferences or meetings that you would like included in the June 2020 Newsletter to me at lisa.demos@monash.edu by 26 May 2020.
Take care and stay well.
Editors: John McNeil & Lisa Demos
President’s message
Dear Colleagues,
Character matters during hard times. Our health care community is working very hard to help our patients in a very difficult time. We will prevail. I am delighted to be the President of ISCP. Although we had to cancel our 25th Annual Scientific Meeting of the ISCP that was to be held on the 8 – 9 May in Miami, Florida we are continue to work in planning the next meeting in Singapore. All our members are committed to give information of the cutting-edge therapies for patients with cardiovascular disease. Please visit our website, get involved with our society and together we will continue the Journey to improve health around the world. Thank you for allowing me to be your president.
We will be in touch very soon.
Hector Ventura
ISCP News
Local Information on the effect of COVID-19
Coronavirus and Clinical Trials in Argentina- Felipe Martinez
In Argentina as in other countries the COVID-19 epidemic has had an impact on Clinical trials. Most of big Pharma Sponsors have stopped monitoring and their staff are now working from home. In addition, the Minister of health has recommended postponing patient visits and instead following up patients by phone. In the case of patients older than 65 years, this is an obligation rather than a recommendation.
Romania during the pandemic- Gheorghe- Andrei Dan
Romania is not an exception. The nightmare has impacted my country as it has in other countries. Something was however learnt from the “Italy lesson”. Every public place was closed and all the teaching is now organized online. Some important tertiary hospitals (including mine) are now empty waiting for possible cases. Other hospitals also reduced elective hospitalizations to a minimum keeping a reserve of empty rooms. There has not been a huge percentage of testing until now, however it was based on epidemiologic examination and the subsequent epidemiologic evolution is proof that it was a wise decision. The situation becomes more difficult now due to community spread as a huge number of Romanian citizens return arriving mostly from Italy and Spain. Because there is a limited awareness of the population (like in many other countries) the emergency state was declared and the traffic is strongly limited. Especially for older persons (>65yrs) the outside access is limited to a circumscribed period of the day.
Are we fully prepared? Obviously not, who is it? Who really believed that all this would happen despite, unfortunately so many warnings? The politicians are too busy with their election and bombastic speech. The medical, social and economic future is under high degree of incertitude. This is the time for human kind to demonstrate solidarity and wisdom. But in the end of the end, as Churchill said “We will never surrender.”
Clinical Trials in Italy- Maurizio Volterrani
The Italian Medicine Agency (AIFA) has not suspended trials but asked to continue the administration of study drugs and, where possible, even a double quantity.
In case of follow-up not requiring drug administration the visit is either postponed or performed by phone.
ISCP Spanish webinar
A webinar for Spanish speaking countries has been completed and uploaded on the Radcliffe Cardiology website. The webinar is titled Tratamiento con ACOD en pacientes con FA post-ICP and is presented by Dr Pablo Avanzas, Dr Román Freixa Pamies, and Dr Antoni Martinez Rubio.
News from World Heart Federation (WHF)
COVID-19: Global Heart, the official journal of the WHF, is publishing a series of papers on the pandemic. The journal is inviting researchers to submit their observations on the interaction between CVD and COVID-19. WHF is also developing a COVID-19 Blog, in which experts will summarize the most relevant articles from other scientific journals.
COVID-19 Resource Hub: Visit the COVID-19 Resource Hub to learn more about the current situation, how the novel coronavirus can affect people living with cardiovascular disease, and what you can do to help.
Turning the Tide: WHF partnered with BBC Storyworks and the NCD Alliance on the creation of two impactful stories about people living with heart disease, the doctors and nurses who help them and those who are inspired to make a difference. The series, Turning the Tide, portrays noncommunicable diseases as an epidemic which kills 41 million people each year, the equivalent of 71% of all deaths globally. Centred on individual stories and issues, the aim is to connect with audiences, raise awareness and inspire action from governments, funders and everyone concerned with global health and personal wellbeing.
The WHF and American College of Cardiology held their first ever virtual congress March 28-30. All of the ACC.20/WCC Virtual live sessions are now available for free, along with additional videos, abstracts and slides. This includes Late-Breaking Clinical Trials, Featured Clinical Research, Young Investigator Awards, Keynotes, and more. All content will be available for 90 days.
ISCP Book Series: Current Cardiovascular Therapy
The Current Cardiovascular Therapy Series was created with the support of the ISCP. The books provide both an in-depth view of the science and pharmacology behind these drugs and a practical guide to their usage. Each volume contains practical illustrations and is designed to improve understanding and practical usage of cardiovascular drugs in specific clinical areas.
The Springer series now includes 10 books with the recent addition of the book on Antiarrhythmic Drugs by Antoni Martinez-Rubio, Juan Tamargo and Gheorghe- Andrei Dan. This volume reviews current and potential future therapies for arrhythmias. It is a highly practical guide for the use of pharmaceuticals in the management of the discipline, and has been written in a simple quick-access format. Antiarrhythmic Drugs builds on the current understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms and insights gained from previous studies of therapeutic interventions. It is designed to establish the baseline level of knowledge that a cardiovascular professional needs to know on a day-to-day basis.
Other titles in the series include Antiplatelet and Anticoagulation Therapy; Pharmacological Treatment of Acute Coronary Syndromes; Atrial Fibrillation Therapy; Cardiac Drugs in Pregnancy; Pharmacotherapy in Aortic Disease; Pharmacologic Trends of Heart Failure; Pharmacological Treatment of Chronic Stable Angina Pectoris; ACEi and ARBS in Hypertension and Heart Failure; Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension.
The Spinger Cardiovascular Therapy Series are available as e-books or in soft cover at a discounted rate for ISCP members.
European Cardiology Review (ECR) – Official ISCP Journal
The European Cardiology Review is a PubMed indexed, peer-reviewed journal comprising review articles, editorials and case reports. The journal is led by Editor-in-Chief Juan Carlos Kaski, along with Associate Editor Pablo Avanzas, supported by Associate Editors, and underpinned by an editorial board of world-renowned physicians.
The ECR is a free on-line review accessible via the ECR website. Article PDFs can be accessed via login or by registering. Articles are also published in full online on PubMed Central.
Volume 15, 2020 is available online. For information on submitting an article, please contact the Managing Editor, Ashlynne Merrifield: ashlynne.merrifield@radcliffe-group.com
The ECR webpage also proves a link to several webinars, videos and live steams on cardiovascular disease.
Upcoming Meetings, Courses and Workshops
ESC Congress 2020
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
29 August – 2 September 2020
ESO-WSO Conference
7 – 9 November, 2020
Vienna, Austria
APSAVD 2020 Congress
25-26 June, 2020
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
XXVIII Congreso Interamericano De Cardiología
13 – 15 September, 2020
Luque, Paraguay
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