Thorvardur Halfdanarson, MD, associate professor of medicine and consultant in medical oncology, Mayo Clinic, discusses peptide receptor radionuclide therapy and other new and exciting developments in the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs).
Thorvardur Halfdanarson, MD, associate professor of medicine and consultant in medical oncology, Mayo Clinic, discusses peptide receptor radionuclide therapy and other new and exciting developments in the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs).
Transcript
What are some new and exciting trials/developments in the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors?
There are several exciting developments. In terms of clinical trials, I like to break it down according to the different drug classes. So, as for PRRT, or peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, I think we have a couple of exciting trials. One is a trial comparing PRRT to everolimus. I think it will be really helpful in telling us how to sequence therapy. Right now, we have everolimus, which is an active drug, we have PRRT, which certainly is a very active treatment. But, we don’t necessarily know how to best sequence or line these 2 drugs up. So, I think that will be an important trial to get done.
Another trial is a PRRT study looking at a somatostatin antagonist, which has a higher affinity for somatostatin receptor; it essentially sticks to it better than the agonist does with lutetium 177 radionuclide. So, that is a phase 2 study looking at tolerability and with efficacy as a secondary endpoint. I think that will be an important study, too. So, that’s what going on for PRRT.
In terms of other drugs, probably the most important trial right now is an ALLIANCE study. It’s a phase 3 study of cabozantinib versus placebo. So, there are very encouraging phase 2 data from cabozantinib in both small-bowel NETs and pancreatic NETs reported at GI ASCO almost 2 years ago. So, I think that is a very natural choice for a phase 3 study.
And then, there are some other earlier phase trials with interesting compounds. Some recognizing the somatostatin receptors, and others targeting different parts of the NET cell machinery.
The Push for Fair Pricing and Reform in Pharmacy Benefit Management
April 3rd 2025Amid growing legislative pressures and industry debates, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are exploring new strategies to enhance transparency, reduce patient costs, and navigate the evolving healthcare landscape.
Read More
Exploring Racial, Ethnic Disparities in Cancer Care Prior Authorization Decisions
October 24th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the author of a study published in the October 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® that explored prior authorization decisions in cancer care by race and ethnicity for commercially insured patients.
Listen
Using AI-Driven Strategies to Optimize Specialty Drug Costs, Manage Polypharmacy
April 2nd 2025As health care costs continue to rise, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven solutions are emerging as a powerful tool for managing specialty drug spending and polypharmacy risks, as showcased in recent research presented at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2025 conference.
Read More
Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Listen
How Recent Federal Policy Changes Are Shaping Managed Care Pharmacy
April 2nd 2025Federal legislative and regulatory changes are reshaping pharmacy practice, with key challenges in government funding, pharmacy benefit manager reform, and health care policy shifts—topics explored by experts at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's annual meeting.
Read More