Laura Joszt, MA

Pharmacists play a crucial role in managing treatment with chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy and bispecific antibodies, focusing on patient selection and side effects, explained Eileen Peng, PharmD, of Astera Cancer Care.

The advent of novel cancer care therapies such as chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy and bispecific antibodies is transforming the role of pharmacists in enhancing patient care.

Researchers are working to redefine diagnosis and treatment with data-driven tools aimed at identifying patients earlier and guiding precision care.

Following President Donald Trump's most favored nation executive order, HHS and CMS have released the target price for pharmaceutical manufacturers to meet.

Proposed Medicaid cuts risk increasing health disparities, leaving millions uninsured and limiting access to essential care for vulnerable populations.

Novel therapies for multiple myeloma (MM), including chimeric antigen receptor T-cell and bispecific antibodies, extend lives but raise concerns about treatment costs and adherence, and they haven't replaced stem cell transplantation, Harsh Parmar, MD, of Hackensack University Medical Center, explains.

Drug companies and specialty distributors navigate challenges like profitability, supply chain volatility, regulatory complexities, and market pressures to build successful partnerships, said Natalie Bedford of McKesson.

To safely and successfully use artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the pharmacy, credentialing bodies and professional associations will need to validate these tools for the individual pharmacist, said Harry Travis of The Travis Group.

Innovative financing and reimbursement models can improve access to cell and gene therapies, addressing cost barriers and improving patient outcomes, said Joe DePinto, MBA, of McKesson.

Specialty distributors can help navigate complex health care regulations, ensuring compliance and adapting to changes in the landscape, said Natalie Bedford of McKesson.

Joe DePinto, MBA, of McKesson; Kathi Henson, MBA, of Orsini; and Natalie Bedford of McKesson discuss how Asembia's AXS25 Specialty Summit fosters collaboration among industry leaders, exploring technology trends to enhance specialty pharmacy and patient care delivery.

Improving health equity is part of the core of quality improvement and requires data collection and community engagement strategies for underserved populations, said Shawn Griffin, MD, president and CEO of URAC.

Strategic relationships and feedback can enhance specialty pharmacy operations, said Natalie Bedford, senior vice president of US pharmaceutical distribution services at McKesson.

Balancing technology and patient care can enhance communication and data collection, improving adherence and outcomes in specialty pharmacy, said Kathi Henson, MBA, of Orsini.

As the number of cell and gene therapies expands, it's increasingly important for long-term patient data, explained Fran Gregory, PharmD, MBA, vice president of emerging therapies at Cardinal Health.

New treatments for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME) enhance patient care with gene therapies and new mechanisms of action on the horizon, explained Casey Koch, PharmD, from Select Health.

Evaluating the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will require real-time data and effective therapy metrics, explained H. John Beardsley, MBA, of CoverMyMeds; and Fauzea Hussain, MPH, of McKesson.

Medicaid beneficiaries face higher rates of pulmonary hypertension, with significant economic burdens and racial disparities in prevalence and costs.

A group of experts discusses the use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology in diabetes and its transformative potential in managing the disease.

The former television personality and heart surgeon was confirmed in a 53-45 vote on party lines.

Despite resubmitting after an initial complete response letter (CRL) due to manufacturing issues, the combination therapy received a second CRL as a frontline therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

The second Trump administration is expected to bring changes to Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, and the health insurance exchanges, as well as highlight the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, speakers at the Value-Based Insurance Design Summit said.

Some patients are better candidates than others for histotripsy to treat liver tumors, but ultimately, this treatment still requires a good multidisciplinary team, like any cancer treatment, said Shaun P. McKenzie, MD, FACS.

Rising rates of metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis indicate a need for public health interventions.

Histotripsy shows promise for treating liver tumors with minimal adverse effects, but limited long-term data and insurance hurdles hinder its adoption, says Shaun P. McKenzie, MD, FACS, of Texas Oncology.

Although histotripsy can successfully destroy tumors in the liver, longer-term data are still needed to see recurrence rates and overall survival, said Shaun P. McKenzie, MD, FACS, a surgical oncologist with Texas Oncology.

Eligibility issues, a need for better multidisciplinary collaboration, and a lack of incorporation in community practices are all barriers to the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery for patients with primary urethral cancer, said Rohan Garje, MD.

Real-world data confirmed the findings of JAVELIN Renal 101, supporting the combination of avelumab and axitinib in advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), said Axel Merseburger, MD, University Hospital Schleswig Holstein, Campus Lübeck, in Germany.

Enfortumab vedotin with or without pembrolizumab offers disease control benefits for patients with upper tract urothelial cancer, said Evangelia Vlachou, MD, of Johns Hopkins Medicine.