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Hello Lisa,
The CLASSIC vote has been completed! As many of you know, the CLASSIC study was our multicenter international collaborative study with ASAS conducted across North America and around the world designed to test the 2009 ASAS classification criteria. The 2009 classification criteria failed to meet the pre-specified sensitivity / specificity thresholds of 75%/90%, and a vote was held to determine which of two competing proposals would be used to replace it. It was incredibly close, but thanks to an amazing SPARTAN participation rate of nearly 90%, the Proposal put forth by the SPARTAN CLASSIC Steering Committee (“Proposal 2”) was selected (158 – 151, with 9 abstentions.) I wish to acknowledge the incredibly hard work of the CLASSIC Steering Committees on both sides as well as all of the site PIs, and the thankless work of the SPARTAN DSMB. Finally, thanks to all of you who participated, regardless of your vote. Many of you had to be persistent and determined to be able to cast your vote, and your efforts are much appreciated. The tremendous SPARTAN engagement throughout the study and in the final vote clearly earns our name being on the soon to be officially updated classification criteria.
SPARTAN Is Going Global… Sort Of!
We’re proud to say that SPARTAN is truly beginning to live up to its identity as a North American organization. Our membership in Mexico has grown substantially over the past year, with 23 new members joining from across the country this year alone. As of this writing, we now have 35 members from Canada, 156 from the United States, and 28 from Mexico, numbers reasonably reflective of the populations of the respective countries. We’re excited to welcome their voices and perspectives, which will undoubtedly enrich our collaborative efforts.
We are also deepening our relationship with PANLAR (Pan American League of Associations for Rheumatology). We’ve begun discussions on several potential joint initiatives, including:
- A clinical fellowship exchange program focused on research and education;
- A joint educational symposium to share expertise across our communities;
- Leveraging the existing PANLAR registry to align and amplify research efforts.
Several SPARTAN members helped organize and participated in the PANLAR Congress in Mexico City, and several PANLAR members are joining us at the SPARTAN Annual Meeting in Toronto on May 10. These conversations will help shape a formal proposal for the SPARTAN Board to consider in the months ahead.
Annual meeting countdown
We are eagerly counting down to the 2025 Annual Meeting in Toronto, scheduled for May 9–10, with an opening reception on May 8. The agenda promises to be dynamic, featuring renowned speakers, impactful discussions, and opportunities for networking. Remember that the Spondyloarthritis Review Course will also take place on May 8. For those traveling from outside Canada, please ensure your passport is valid through at least November 2025 to avoid any last-minute complications. Information about travel is available below.
Thank You to Our Sponsors and Donors
Lastly, I extend heartfelt gratitude to our corporate sponsors for their invaluable support. Your contributions fuel SPARTAN’s mission and enable us to reach new heights in research and education.
And for the first time this year, we are also grateful for the generous support of individual donors. Thank you to each of you who has made a personal contribution to SPARTAN — your investment in our community means the world.
Regards, Matt
Matthew Stoll, MD, PhD, MSCS
Professor, Pediatric Rheumatology
University of Alabama at Birmingham
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