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Episode 1 - The Advent of Cancer Immunotherapy: Addressing Unmet Needs
In a discussion moderated by Peter Salgo, MD, panelists Jeffrey Weber, MD, PhD, Michael Kolodziej, MD, and Daniel J. George, MD, share their insights and perspectives about cancer immunotherapy in the managed care setting.
Dr Salgo opens up the discussion with some facts about cancer and claims that cancer is currently recognized as the “global pandemic” that killed more than 600,000 US persons in 2012 alone. Despite its deep history, the potential of cancer immunotherapy has only been tapped into recently. Due to the high costs of treatment, cancer immunotherapy is debatable. Dr Salgo explains that a majority of the immunotherapy drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration cost over $100,000 per year.
Regardless of these costs, Dr George believes we need to take advantage of this therapy option, as it has proved more effective than standard therapy options such as chemotherapy and radiation when treating several types of cancer.
Dr George continues the discussion with an explanation about how cancer immunotherapy works. Dr Weber concludes by defining immunotherapy as a “targeted therapy,” and cites Provenge, a targeted therapy cancer vaccine, as an example.
New Research Challenges Assumptions About Hospital-Physician Integration, Medicare Patient Mix
April 22nd 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Brady Post, PhD, lead author of a study published in the April 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care®, challenges the claim that hospital-employed physicians serve a more complex patient mix.
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Specialty Drug Users to Gain Relief Under Medicare Reforms
May 16th 2025A new analysis looked at estimated out-of-pocket costs for etanercept, ustekinumab, and ibrutinib, specialty drugs that often represent a significant cost burden for Medicare Part D beneficiaries and which were selected for 2026 drug price negotiation under the Inflation Reduction Act.
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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.
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Navigation and Clinician Payment Investments Enhance Colorectal Cancer Screening Benefits
May 15th 2025Investing in patient navigation and clinician incentives ensures colorectal cancer screening completion, improves early detection, reduces disparities, achieves cost savings, and advances population health for all stakeholders.
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