Laura Joszt, MA

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has updated its guidelines for Waldenström macroglobulinemia to include zanubrutinib (Brukinsa) as a preferred regimen.

An analysis of social media posts provides insight into patient experiences of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and the therapies that treat it.

Minimal residual disease, overall response rate, complete response rate, and stringent complete response may be useful as surrogate end points to estimate progression-free survival (PFS) benefit for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

Two posters presented at the European Hematology Association 2021 Virtual Congress evaluated tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) selection in the front line and compared first-generation to second-generation TKIs.

Favorable genetic characteristics may be able to predict which patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (R/R CLL) who were treated with venetoclax-rituximab will attain undetectable minimal residual disease (MRD).

New studies into chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)–engineered natural killer (NK) cells has shown promising results, explained Ulrike Köhl, PhD, MD, professor of immune oncology and director of the Institute for Clinical Immunology at the University of Leipzig in Germany.

New antitussive trials are challenged by large placebo effects and the risk of the trial being unblinded due to adverse effects, explained Ron Eccles, BSc, PhD, DSc, emeritus professor at Cardiff University.

Updated guidelines for adults and children highlight confusion over the name of the condition and the need for greater evidence.

An interim analysis of the phase 3 ALPINE study demonstrated that zanubrutinib has a superior response rate, improved progressive-free survival, and lower rate of atrial fibrillation/flutter compared with ibrutinib in patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/ small lymphocytic leukemia (CLL/SLL).

The populations represented in randomized controlled trials often do not match the populations being treated in the real world due to eligibility criteria, which can be challenging when translating those results to real-world decisions, explained speakers during a session at the European Hematology Association 2021 Virtual Congress.

With 5 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies approved by the FDA, and 299 agents in the pipeline, it’s no surprise that the virtual meeting of the European Hematology Association (EHA) will have a heavy presence of CAR T research being presented in sessions and posters.

Treating cough can be difficult. There are no FDA-approved therapies on the market in the United States, and companies with drugs in clinical trials have to contend with a large placebo effect.

As patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) fail on treatment and move to later lines of therapy, the impact on their health-related quality of life and the economic burden significantly increase.

Patients who undergo cancer screenings, even when asymptomatic, experience short-lived psychosocial outcomes, such as anxious symptoms, distress, and worry.

Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who relapse after first-line treatment face a substantial health care resource utilization (HCRU) and cost burden, according to a poster presented at Virtual ISPOR 2021.

With a variety of treatments available for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a disease that is extremely heterogeneous, clinicians are faced with a challenging task to choose the right treatment for a patient.

Patients with sickle cell disease face substantial health care utilization and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Technological innovation is helping to reinvent the traditional health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) field as traditional and new players partner to leverage data sources.

Stakeholders identify the value elements of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) they find most important, as well as options for innovative contracts.

As the cost of therapies increases, US health plans are utilizing tools like step therapy, to ensure patients try cheaper alternatives first, and value assessment frameworks, to assist with the decision-making process.

With more than 3000 gene therapies in development, payers will have to grapple with the challenges of paying for these innovative but expensive therapies.

During a panel at Virtual ISPOR 2021, speakers presented global perspectives of COVID-19 vaccine rollout and efforts to target vaccine-hesitant communities.

Two posters presented at Virtual ISPOR 2021 analyzed the health care resource utilization and cost of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with pneumonia, as well as the cost savings of treating patients with frequent or severe COPD exacerbations with a fixed-dose triple therapy.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought together the world and taught health systems how to be resilient and adapt to both predictable and unpredictable changes, said the panelists during the plenary on day 1 of Virtual ISPOR 2021.

The 4-day annual meeting of ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research—will cover a wide range of topics. Here are 5 themes to keep an eye out for.

Asthma exacerbations among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latinx adults with moderate-to-severe asthma decreased by approximately 40% during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among individuals who worked outside the home and those without type 2 inflammation.

BK virus–specific T cells from healthy donors were an effective and safe off-the-shelf treatment for patients with leukemia or lymphoma who developed a painful and common complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

As people socially distanced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the problems of loneliness and social isolation were exacerbated.

Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who have comorbidities or advanced age who are treated with a monotherapy have comparable outcomes to patients on combination therapies.

Posters from the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy annual meeting evaluated real-world evidence on adherence to biosimilars and barriers to biosimilar adoption.