Alana Hippensteele, MA

Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, MBA, of Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital, spoke at the recent ASPC 2025 Congress on CVD Prevention to illustrate both the benefits and risks associated with renal denervation. Bhatt addresses the procedure in the context of lifestyle interventions and novel drug therapies.

Jonathan Thompson, MD, MS, emphasized that broader molecular testing in early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is essential to guide perioperative treatment decisions, while selective retesting at progression can identify resistance mutations or new targets to optimize value-based care.

Emilie Aschenbrenner, PharmD, BCOP, outlines how Froedtert Health and the Medical College of Wisconsin use outpatient-based care models, standardized protocols, and collaborative partnerships to improve cost-effectiveness, accessibility, and patient experience.

Jonathan Thompson, MD, MS, emphasized that comprehensive biomarker testing with next-generation sequencing and PD-L1 analysis—implemented as reflex testing at biopsy—is essential to guide precision therapy in lung cancer and to address persistent disparities in timely, equitable access to care.

Clayton Irvine, PharmD, MBA, MS, discusses how pharmacists are essential to advancing payer–provider collaboration in value-based care by shaping formularies, standardizing drug reviews, leveraging real-world evidence, and leading pilot programs to optimize patient outcomes and cost-effectiveness.

The INTEGUMENT-OLE study is an open-label extension analysis that followed a primary investigation from the phase 3 INTEGUMENT-PED trial, which investigated the efficacy and safety of once-daily roflumilast cream 0.05% for atopic dermatitis in children aged 2 to 5 years.

Emilie Aschenbrenner, PharmD, BCOP, highlights how measurable residual disease (MRD) testing can support value-based care in multiple myeloma by guiding personalized treatment intensity, potentially reducing costs and improving outcomes.

Clayton Irvine, PharmD, MBA, MS, emphasized that optimizing value-based access to cell and gene therapies requires standardized care protocols, coordinated transitions between care settings, careful evaluation of prior authorization and financial assistance options, and formulary decisions that balance clinical outcomes with both direct and indirect costs to patients and institutions.

Amir Fathi, MD, leukemia specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses the importance of advocacy by both patients and their treatment team and key distinct toxicities that require vigilance.

ImmunityBio's study reveals promising results for chemotherapy-free CD19 CAR NK cell therapy in treating Waldenström macroglobulinemia, offering hope for patients.

Emilie Aschenbrenner, PharmD, BCOP, discusses how integrating CD38-targeted therapies into first-line treatment for transplant-ineligible multiple myeloma requires balancing clinical benefit, cost, and insurance coverage.

Jason Bergsbaken, PharmD, MBA, BCOP, explains the value of pharmacist involvement in precision molecular tumor boards and end-of-life care discussions, highlighting their role in ensuring evidence-based therapy selection, patient-specific recommendations, and shared decision-making that aligns treatment with individual goals.

Clayton Irvine, PharmD, MBA, MS, discusses strategies to address payer-driven biosimilar and prior authorization challenges through integrated digital solutions, while advocating for flexible, regularly reviewed treatment pathways supported by molecular tumor boards and artificial intelligence to balance standardization with personalized, biomarker-driven oncology care.

Clayton Irvine, PharmD, MBA, MS, explains that leveraging high-quality, real-world data; cross-institutional collaboration; standardized care pathways; advanced technologies; and integrated academic–community oncology partnerships can improve treatment decision-making, reduce financial toxicity, address drug shortages, and optimize infusion center efficiency.

The treatment of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is moving toward a personalized, multidisciplinary approach that combines surgical options with a growing number of nonsurgical alternatives, to better address the unique needs of each child.

Jason Bergsbaken, PharmD, MBA, BCOP, highlights the operational challenges of value-based oncology care while emphasizing the need to balance standardized treatment pathways with flexibility for personalized, biomarker-driven care.

Jason Bergsbaken, PharmD, MBA, BCOP, highlights the growing role of real-world data in validating or de-implementing therapies, the need for vigilant postapproval outcomes monitoring, and the value of academic–community oncology partnerships.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy and bispecific antibodies are transforming multiple myeloma care, with earlier use, expanded community access, and outpatient delivery models offering opportunities to improve value, safety, and equity in treatment.

The FDA approved multiple groundbreaking treatments in July, enhancing options across patient populations.

Chronic spontaneous urticaria places a heavier burden on patients than atopic dermatitis and psoriasis, leading to a worse quality of life and higher health care costs, underscoring the critical need for better treatments.

Fear of progression is common among patients living with chronic diseases, but the degree to which it interferes with patient outcomes, including treatment adherence, deserves further investigation, study authors note.

Patients with HIV had lower adherence to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) if they lived in areas with the lowest disadvantage.

Experts highlight advances in therapies, research on skin of color, and the impact of social determinants of health at the Society for Pediatric Dermatology's milestone annual meeting.

Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of persistent environmental pollutants, was linked to significant shifts in infant T helper cell development, raising concerns about long-term effects on vaccine response, immune regulation, and disease susceptibility.

A meta-analysis showed that control group outcomes in psilocybin trials for depression were significantly weaker than those in selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and esketamine trials, suggesting that psilocybin’s large observed treatment effects may be inflated by methodological factors such as functional unblinding and expectancy bias.

A nationwide Danish cohort study demonstrated no increased risk of serious adverse events following vaccination with JN.1-updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, reinforcing their safety profile and supporting continued use in high-risk populations amid ongoing viral evolution.

The Commonwealth Fund’s updated July 2025 brief on maternal mortality highlights how systemic disparities, Medicaid coverage gaps, and behavioral health challenges continue to drive poor maternal and infant outcomes across the United States.

Key legal, ethical, and compliance considerations for managed care professionals navigating the evolving landscape of psychedelic-assisted therapy include regulatory risks, data privacy challenges, reimbursement limitations, and the need for culturally informed care models.

At ESMO Congress 2024, Shuji Ogino, MD, PhD, MS, explained that the rising incidence of young-onset cancer may be due to generational risk factors such as lifestyle, diet, and environmental changes, emphasizing the need for long-term research and follow up to understand early-life influences on cancer development.

Clinical research presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress 2024 highlights the significant survival benefits of perioperative and neoadjuvant immunotherapy with nivolumab and nivolumab plus ipilimumab, while emphasizing the role of biomarkers, such as circulating tumor DNA and KRAS mutations, in guiding treatment decisions.