Interviews

This Managed Care Cast episode explores how high costs and inconsistent insurance coverage for incretin mimetics impact obesity management and patient care.

David Nguyen, MD, medical oncologist with Tufts Medicine and Lowell General Hospital, discusses the evolving landscape of advanced cancer treatments like chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy and bispecific antibodies

Amir Fathi, MD, discusses one of the biggest nonfinancial barriers to bispecific therapies: the expertise required to safely administer and manage them.

Seventy percent of Asian American and Pacific Islander women diagnosed with lung cancer were non- or never-smokers, highlighting a need to rethink lung cancer screening to reduce disparities.

Ayodeji Adegunsoye, MD, PhD, MSc, discusses how emerging genetic insights like telomere-related mutations may reshape disease management in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

Lifestyle changes like drinking a lot of water and limiting screen time can help to alleviate symptoms of dry eye even outside of eye drops, says Karen Fernandez, MD.

There is a great need to streamline the process from the tissue sample to the diagnostic lab, whether it's genomic or immunohistochemistry, Robert Kratzke, MD, says.

Marilyn Glassberg, MD, emphasizes the need for improved community education and highlights promising new drug pathways for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

Caroline Vovan, PharmD, CDE, emphasized the expanding role of ambulatory clinical pharmacists in value-based care.

María Díez Campelo, MD, PhD, concludes by highlighting imetelstat’s real-world quality of life benefits for patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and the need for improved patient-reported outcome tools and caregiver-focused research.

Revumenib is now the sole targeted therapy recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network for KMT2A-rearranged acute leukemia, which opens a path for payers, said Ivo Abraham, PhD, RN, of The University of Arizona.

Ambulatory clinical pharmacists improve patient outcomes and reduce health care costs by providing hands-on chronic disease management, patient education, and medication cost oversight, according to Caroline Vovan, PharmD, CDE.

These interviews are the top episodes, by listens, from among the 21 podcast episodes The American Journal of Managed Care® produced over the first half of 2025. Give them all another listen, and perhaps learn something new.

Karen Fernandez, MD, discusses the different types of treatment currently being tested for use in dry eye disease, which affects millions in the US.

The symptoms of dry eye are multifactorial, says Mina Massaro-Giordano, MD, making identifying and treating dry eye important for quality of life.

In part 2, Hans Lee, MD, shares practical tips for using linvoseltamab in heavily pretreated multiple myeloma and outlines trials that may expand its future role.

Caroline Vovan, PharmD, CDE, highlights how ambulatory clinical pharmacists contribute to value-based care by managing chronic conditions, improving medication adherence, and reducing costs.

Tabby Khan, MD, MPH, senior director of Analytics at Komodo Health, calls for increased lung cancer screening measures and criteria to address underreported, at-risk populations like AAPI women.

Imetelstat (Rytelo; Geron) significantly improved and sustained health-related quality of life in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), with benefits linked directly to the drug rather than patient characteristics.

Because patients do not always associate their symptoms with dry eye, they often turn to treatments that do not work, says Nicole Bajic, MD.

The newly approved linvoseltamab (Lynozyfic; Regeneron) has a manageable safety profile, along with a patient-friendly dosing schedule that includes intravenous administration, step-up dosing, and de-escalation to monthly maintenance.

The phase 3 IMerge trial (NCT02598661) evaluated how treatment with imetelstat impacts health-related quality of life in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), according to María Díez Campelo, MD, PhD.

Multiple medications and treatments can be used to address dry eye and dry eye disease in patients, says Karen Fernandez, MD.

Risk factors can vary for dry eye, a condition that affects the layers of tear film on the eye, says Nicole Bajic, MD.

Robert Kratzke, MD, urged insurance providers to prioritize fast biomarker testing in non–small cell lung cancer, saying it’s both cost-effective and life-saving.

The aim of the study was to not only observe the disparities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic but also to draw attention to the issue to drive real, lasting change.

The recent decision in Kennedy v Braidwood could give Robert F. Kennedy Jr, secretary of HHS, the ability to remove all members of the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) if desired, according to Jeffrey Fitzgerald, JD.

Mirima Freimer, MD, delves into potential reasons behind the longer-term efficacy of zilucoplan and also speaks to the treatment’s safety profile.

The decision could have ripple effects across the country when it comes to state governments deciding who gets to receive Medicaid funds, says Jennifer Evans, JD.

Avoiding downstream testing ultimately makes it cheaper for whoever is footing the bill, says Merrill H. Stewart, MD, Ochsner Health.