Chair: Prof. Robin Condliffe (Sheffield (South Yorkshire), United Kingdom)

Speakers: Prof. Marc Humbert (Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France), Dr Parth Rali (Philadelphia, United States)

Discussants: Prof. Dr Nesrin Öcal (Ankara, Turkey), Prof. Yochai Adir (Haifa, Israel)

Fees: Free for ERS members / €10 for non-members
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Overview

This Journal Club will bridge an important educational gap by featuring two high-impact clinical trials in pulmonary vascular disease:

1. Mechanical Thrombectomy for Intermediate-High-Risk PE: Primary Results from the STORM-PE Trial

Author & Speaker: Dr Parth Rali
Summary:
The STORM-PE trial is the first randomised study to compare mechanical thrombectomy plus anticoagulation versus anticoagulation alone in patients with acute intermediate-high-risk pulmonary embolism. The trial evaluates haemodynamic improvement, safety outcomes, and early clinical events, offering much-needed evidence to guide patient selection and procedural decision-making in the acute setting.

2. Sotatercept for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Within the First Year After Diagnosis

Author & Speaker: Prof. Marc Humbert
Summary:
This study examines the effectiveness of sotatercept initiated early after diagnosis in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), assessing benefits on haemodynamics, functional class and risk profile. As sotatercept reshapes disease-modifying therapy in PAH, early-treatment data provide crucial insight for clinicians integrating this novel agent into real-world practice.

Pulmonary vascular diseases are undergoing rapid transformation, with major advances in both acute pulmonary embolism (PE) management and early PAH therapy. Clinicians currently face uncertainty regarding the role of catheter-based thrombectomy in intermediate-high-risk PE and how best to incorporate emerging disease-modifying agents such as sotatercept into treatment pathways soon after diagnosis. This webinar will address these evolving needs by presenting two landmark clinical trials: the STORM-PE randomised controlled trial, evaluating mechanical thrombectomy versus anticoagulation alone, and the early sotatercept study in newly diagnosed PAH. Through direct discussion with the authors and structured expert commentary, attendees will gain clarity on trial interpretation, patient selection, safety considerations, and the forward trajectory of precision therapy in pulmonary vascular disease.

Topics:

• Mechanical thrombectomy in acute intermediate-high-risk PE
• Primary outcomes, safety signals, and implications of the STORM-PE randomised control trial
• Early initiation of sotatercept in newly diagnosed PAH
• Evolving treatment pathways and risk stratification in PAH
• Integrating trial evidence into real-world pulmonary vascular practice

Format

One-hour webinar structured as follows:

• Welcome and introduction by the Chair - Robin Condliffe - (5 min)
• Sotatercept for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Within the First Year After Diagnosis. Marc Humbert - (15 min)
  Focus on early initiation, haemodynamic impact, functional outcomes, and implications for PAH treatment pathways.
• Mechanical Thrombectomy vs Anticoagulation Alone: Primary Outcomes from the STORM-PE Randomised Trial. Parth Rali - (15 min)
  Discussion of RCT design, endpoints, procedural considerations, and clinical implications in intermediate-high-risk pulmonary embolism.
• Expert panel discussion and audience Q&A (25 min)
  Discussants: Nesrin Öcal, Yochai Adir
  Expert panellists engage both speakers with targeted questions on study methodology, interpretation, safety considerations, and real-world translation.
  The Chair moderates the discussion to ensure balanced scientific exchange.

Learning outcomes

Following this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Interpret the STORM-PE trial and understand when mechanical thrombectomy may be beneficial.
• Evaluate the role of sotatercept initiated early in PAH and its impact on clinical decision-making.
• Integrate emerging evidence into patient selection and risk stratification for PE and PAH.
• Critically appraise trial methodology and outcome measures in pulmonary vascular research.
• Anticipate future changes in acute and chronic pulmonary vascular treatment pathways.

CME credit

An application for accreditation of this webinar has been made to the European Board for Accreditation in Pneumology (EBAP) for 1 CME credit per 1-hour attendance. If accredited, the CME credit will be granted upon attendance of at least 60 minutes during the live webinar only.

What is a webinar?

A webinar closely simulates a lecture-based teaching experience. The speaker can interact with the audience, just as in a classroom setting. During the webinar, you will be asked to share your opinion on issues related to the topic using interactive polls.

All participants will be able to hear the lecturer and see the slides throughout the presentation. As a participant you will be able to pose questions or discuss ideas with the other participants via the text chat facility and the speaker will respond to the questions via the microphone.

Login guidelines

More information will be communicated in due course.

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