Latest Conference Articles

Washout periods are necessary to flush out any lingering effects of drugs that patients are taking before a study, explained Jonathan Silverberg, MD, PhD, MPH, associate professor of dermatology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Metastatic breast cancer has a poor prognosis, but emerging targeted therapies are providing some progress in the treatment of the disease, explained Filipa Lynce, MD, medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School.

At a session at the National Association of Managed Care Physicians Virtual Spring Managed Care Forum, an Aetna executive discussed how one employer used the payer's data to see how its workforce was affected by social determinants of health (SDOH).

Microsoft's acquisition of Nuance reflects health care trends of an economy emerging from COVID-19, according to a speaker at the National Association of Managed Care Physicians Virtual Spring Managed Care Forum.

How well, and how in-depth, all parties execute each step can determine how long it will take to reach a finalized agreement, what the relationship will be like after the transaction, and whether the parties will be in legal compliance, speakers noted.

Rajiv Nijhawan, MD, is associate professor of dermatology and Mohs surgeon at UT Southwestern (UTSW) Medical Center and director of the UTSW High Risk Skin Cancer Transplant Clinic, both in Dallas, Texas.

Christine Ko, MD, is professor of dermatology and pathology at Yale University and a presenter of “What's New in Dermatopathology” at this year’s American Academy of Dermatology Virtual Meeting Experience (AAD VMX).

The upcoming 2021 virtual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) will offer more than 75 sessions. Some of the topics to keep an eye out for include treating minority populations, the impact of COVID-19, and patients with cancer.

A changing climate affects every organ system of the body, individual patients, and population-based health, noted Misha Rosenbach, MD, associate professor of dermatology and internal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Three cell and gene therapies were among the drugs included in a specialty drugs pipeline forecast at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2021 meeting.

Changes to naming conventions and interchangeability labels are just some of the regulatory barriers standing in the way of biosimilar uptake, according to Kaiser Permanente researchers.

Megan Olsen, MPH, principal at Avalere, discussed how gene and cell therapies can offer new treatment options for patients with cancer.

With President Joe Biden marking his 100th day in office at the end of the month, a health policy strategist sat down for a conversation to discuss the new administration’s achievements and challenges.

Atopic dermatitis has a tremendous affect on quality of life, so it’s nice to have more options to treat patients in a different way, noted Lawrence F. Eichenfield, MD, chief of pediatric and adolescent dermatology at Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego.

Rebecca Borgert, PharmD, BCOP, and Jim Rebello, PharmD, from Magellan Rx Management, discussed what evidence they believe could persuade payers to include biosimilars as preferred formulary products.

A poster at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2021 meeting examined the impact of high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) on access to health care and resource use in the United States and the interaction of race, ethnicity, and income.

Karen Coderre, PharmD, and Madhavi Manduru-Rao, PharmD, detail how CMS' increased weighting for Consumer Assessment of Health Care Providers and Systems surveys impacts Star ratings.

The pandemic reduced visits to specialists last year, which in turn reduced the volume of prescriptions, according to a presentation at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2021 meeting.

Compared with when Medicare Part D launched, therapies today are more expensive. A panel at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2021 meeting discussed how the benefit needs to adapt to keep up with the future.

Brenden O’Hara, RPh, BCACP, from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, talked about the pharmacist’s role in improving outcomes in value-based contracts and why collaboration is needed.

PIE, or a preapproval information exchange, is aimed at streamlining payer and health plan involvement so that it happens at the same time a drug developer submits an application to the FDA, instead of after a drug is approved, with the intent of speeding patient access to therapies.

Christina Polomoff, PharmD, BCACP, BCGP, discusses the differences between manufacturer coupons and cash cards and how they financially affect health plans and pharmacies.

Jonathan Silverberg, MD, PhD, MPH, is an author of the poster, “Efficacy of Ruxolitinib Cream Among Patients With Atopic Dermatitis Based on Previous Medication History: Pooled Results From Two Phase 3 Studies,” which will be presented at this year’s American Academy of Dermatology Virtual Meeting Experience (AAD VMX).

On day 2 of this year’s Community Oncology Conference, a panel of government and health policy experts gathered to discuss the hot-button issue of political influence on cancer policy and the damage community oncology has suffered this past year.

There are many sources, and definitions, of where the value in cancer care lies. In this panel discussion, a cancer survivor and patient advocate, an oncologist, and a benefits professional provided their perspectives on what value in cancer care means to them.

Lalan Wilfong, MD, executive vice president, Value Based Care & Quality Programs, Texas Oncology, and cochair, Payment Reform, Community Oncology Alliance, speaks on the evolution of remote monitoring in cancer care and how value-based oncology may look in the near future.

Edward Licitra, MD, PhD, medical oncologist, Astera Health Partners, discusses his thoughts on what value-based cancer care entails and how physicians can best align their goals with those of the patient and health plan.

A popular misconception of palliative care is that it only has importance toward making patients comfortable at the end of their lives, noted a palliative care physician on the first day of the 2021 Community Oncology Conference, presented by the Community Oncology Alliance.

Kathy Oubre, MS, chief operating officer of Pontchartrain Cancer Center, discusses cost-saving implications of biosimilars in oncology, as well as several barriers that continue to impede their use.

Ted Okon, MBA, executive director of the Community Oncology Alliance, discusses what influence the new administration may have on payment reform in oncology and issues regarding the 340B drug pricing program.