Interviews

Surbhi Sidana, MD, MBBS, shares how the addition of an anti-CD38 antibody to the VRd regimen significantly improves progression-free survival for patients with transplant-ineligible multiple myeloma.

This interview accompanies the final podcast in our National Recovery Month series with Lyndra Bills, MD, senior medical director, and Shari Hutchison, MS, director of program evaluation and outcomes, both with Community Care Behavioral Health Organization, part of the UPMC Insurance Services Division.

Parth Rali, MD, Temple University Hospital, is looking forward to approaching pulmonary vascular diseases as a spectrum, especially when assessing pulmonary embolism and pulmonary hypertension, at CHEST 2024.

On September 20, the FDA approved isatuximab plus bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone in the first line for patients who have multiple myeloma and are ineligible for transplant.

The 25th International AIDS Conference took place July 22-26 in Munich, Germany, and one of the sessions delved into the potential impact of civil society laws on the 95-95-95 targets as laid out in the UNAIDS Global AIDS Strategy for 2021 to 2026.

Speakers at the 2024 International Myeloma Society (IMS) conference share the updates from the myeloma space that they were most excited about this year.

Klaus Rabe, MD, PhD, chest physician and professor of medicine, University of Kiel, discusses improvements in lung function observed in patients enrolled in the BOREAS trial.

April Armstrong, MD, MPH, chief of dermatology, UCLA, discusses the impact of a new oral therapy option for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.

Value-based agreements come with risks and benefits, but a health system’s existing facilities and initiatives can help support the goals associated with them, JT Lew, PharmD, MBA, a managed care pharmacist at MultiCare Health System, explained.

In less than a month, from August 20 to September 19, amivantamab (Ami; Rybrevant, Johnson & Johnson) received 2 approvals from the FDA for use in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

September is National Recovery Month, and we are bringing you another limited-edition month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. In our final episode, we speak with Lyndra Bills, MD, and Shari Hutchison, MS.

While previous trials have led to questions surrounding the potential benefits of valve interventions in mitral or tricuspid regurgitation, a pair of trials presented recently demonstrate their potential, Javed Butler, MD, MPH, MBA, president of the Baylor Scott and White Research Institute, said.

Finerenone is at least as effective in patients who are in the hospital or were recently hospitalized for heart failure as those with stable condition, said Akshay Desai, MD, of Brigham & Women’s Hospital.

As cancer therapies extend patients’ lifespans, it’s important to implement cardioprotective strategies, said Aaron Adkisson, PharmD, of University of Kentucky.

The pharmacist is a critical member of the care team to help manage patients on treatment and contain costs of cancer care, said Kirollos S. Hanna, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP, FACCC, director of pharmacy, Minnesota Oncology.

Binod Dhakal, MD, associate professor, division of hematology and oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin and lead investigator of the CARTITUDE-4 study, presented updated data at the 2024 International Myeloma Society conference.

After a small number of practices joined the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) in 2023, CMS has made some changes and opened the model back up for new practices to join.

Delia Orosco, MS, director of Community Wellness Centers at Inland Empire Health Plan, shares insight into innovative initiatives provided by the wellness centers and their new mobile mammogram clinics.

On September 19, the FDA handed down its third amivantamab (Rybrevant; Johnson & Johnson) approval for 2024 in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), giving the third-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor its fourth approval overall.

Ashraf Badros, MB, ChB, professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, director of the Multiple Myeloma Service, and vice chair of the Clinical Research Committee for the Program in Oncology, compares the AURIGA trial with other studies on maintenance therapy for patients with multiple myeloma.

Toby Maher, MD, PhD, professor of clinical medicine, Keck Medicine of USC, discusses the impact of changes in lung function in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

Saad Z. Usmani, MD, MBA, FACP, myeloma specialist and cellular therapist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, presented the results of the CEPHEUS trial and emphasized the positive impact daratumumab has on patients with multiple myeloma.

Linda Bosserman, MD, PhD, FASCO, FACP, of City of Hope, discusses the implementation of cutting-edge cancer treatments, emphasizing the need for effective information sharing and collaboration to improve cancer care access for diverse populations.

This interview accompanies the fourth podcast in our National Recovery Month series with Amy Herschell, PhD, associate vice president, Program Implementation and Evaluation, Community Care Behavioral Health Organization, part of the UPMC Insurance Services Division, and Jessica Meyers, MSEd, senior advisor for implementation, UPMC Center for High-Value Health Care.

Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP, assistant professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Washington, dissects the limited data on T-cell therapies for multiple myeloma, infectious complications, and access to specialized treatment centers.

Anant Madabhushi, PhD, executive director for the Emory Empathetic AI for Health Institute, proposes AI-based solutions to address health care disparities, emphasizing systemic racism and phenotypic variations.

Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP, assistant professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, at the University of Washington, determines the optimal use of minimal residual disease (MRD) in individual patient management, including decisions about continuing or stopping treatment.

Arash Mostaghimi, MD, MPA, MPH, director of the inpatient dermatology consult service at Brigham & Women's Hospital, discusses the utility of deuruxolitinib for treating moderate to severe alopecia areata (AA).

Benjamin Scirica, MD, MPH, director of quality initiatives at Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Cardiovascular Division, discussed the importance of team-based care and gaps in technology to manage patients at risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Andrew Leitner, MD, of City of Hope, discusses the challenges of integrating supportive care into cancer treatment and proposes solutions to improve access for patients from underserved communities.