- Center on Health Equity & Access
- Clinical
- Health Care Cost
- Health Care Delivery
- Insurance
- Policy
- Technology
- Value-Based Care
Determining Appropriate Duration of Treatment
Immunotherapeutic agents have demonstrated effectiveness at delivering sustained treatment responses; however, these agents are associated with substantial costs. Furthermore, prolonged use of immunotherapy can increase the likelihood that a patient will experience treatment toxicities.
Richard W. Joseph, MD, explains how clinical studies designed to assess appropriate duration of immunotherapy treatment can help reduce these patient burdens.
Dr Joseph notes that clinical trials of immunotherapy in different types of cancer have demonstrated durable response rates. Keeping patients on immunotherapy for a long period of time may not always be necessary, and studies that evaluate the appropriate duration of treatment with immunotherapeutic agents are needed. If cancer recurs, he adds, patients may still respond when immunotherapy is restarted.
By appropriately limiting the length of treatment with immunotherapy based on data from clinical trials, healthcare professionals can reduce the cost burden and the likelihood of experiencing treatment toxicities, Dr Joseph remarks.
Varied Access: The Pharmacogenetic Testing Coverage Divide
February 18th 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the author of a study published in the February 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® to uncover significant differences in coverage decisions for pharmacogenetic tests across major US health insurers.
Listen
Overdiagnosis of Adult ADHD Is Exacerbating the Stimulant Shortage
March 11th 2025The authors argue that the stimulant shortage is being perpetuated by the overdiagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults because executive functioning deficits are not included in diagnostic criteria.
Read More
HIVconsvX Vaccine Shows Safety, Immune Response in People on ART
March 10th 2025This research on a T-cell–targeting vaccine in HIV has implications for future study design to incorporate consideration of age and years on antiretroviral therapy (ART) to evaluate the level of immune reconstitution.
Read More
Reviving the Classics: The Role of Older Medications in Modern Dermatology
March 9th 2025Older, generic medications, including ones for cyclosporine, nicotinamide, and dapsone, can effectively treat patients with various dermatological conditions while helping to reduce insurance and cost barriers.
Read More
