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Edward L. Barnes, MD, MPH, assistant professor in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology, also won an Outstanding Presenter Award for this research.


Edward L. Barnes, MD, MPH, assistant professor in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology, also won an Outstanding Presenter Award for this research.

A research poster presented by Edward L. Barnes, MD, MPH, an assistant professor in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology, was designated a Presidential Poster at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Annual Scientific Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, in October.

Dr. Barnes also won an Outstanding Presenter Award for the poster, “Medication Use and Comorbidities Among Elderly as Compared to Younger Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the TARGET-IBD Cohort.”

The ACG Abstract Selection Committee reviewed thousands of abstracts in advance of the 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting. Fewer than five percent of accepted abstracts received this distinction for high quality, novel, unique, and interesting research. Dr. Barnes, who is a TARGET-IBD publications committee member, first author and presenter of the Presidential Poster, also won an Outstanding Presenter Award for this research. The award acknowledges Dr. Barnes’ succinct and informative two-minute briefing of the TARGET-IBD research, followed by a successful faculty judge Q&A session.

TARGET-IBD is a longitudinal observational study collecting information from consented patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to gain insight on the natural course of the disease and treatment outcomes. Data is collected retrospectively for three years from the patient’s date of consent and then prospectively for at least five years. The resultant robust cohort allows for the collection of effectiveness and safety data upon new drug approvals. The TARGET-IBD study is sponsored by TARGET PharmaSolutions, Inc. of Durham, North Carolina. Millie D. Long, MD, MPH, associate professor in division of gastroenterology and hepatology, is co-chair of the TARGET-IBD Steering Committee.

The study presented at ACG explored characteristics and patterns of medication use in patients with IBD across the age span, with a particular focus on the elderly. Researchers concluded that mesalamine was the most common medication used among patients with Crohn’s Disease over the age of 65 and among participants with ulcerative colitis across all age categories, and that patients with Crohn’s Disease over the age of 65 were more than twice as likely to be users of mesalamine at enrollment than patients under the age of 30. Anti‐tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti‐TNF) use decreased in patients over 65 years versus patients under 30 years for both Chron’s Disease and ulcerative colitis.

“TARGET-IBD offers a unique opportunity to examine real-world data and practice patterns across multiple different disease presentations within inflammatory bowel disease, including comparisons of patients from different age groups,” said Dr. Barnes. “Many times, evaluations in administrative claims data are limited to patients younger than 65 years of age due to concerns regarding co-insurance with Medicare. A real-world analysis from 34 practice sites in the United States allowed us to evaluate practice patterns across a variety of age groups, including patients over the age of 65, where we saw significant differences in medication use such as increased use of mesalamine and decreased use of anti-TNF therapy.”

“As the TARGET-IBD cohort continues to grow, the potential for its contribution to research in both Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis is becoming very clear. We are pleased with the increasing attention surrounding TARGET-IBD,” said co-author and TARGET Senior Director of Scientific and Medical Affairs, Dr. Julie Crawford.