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Melanoma Trial Halted Early; Keytruda Betters Yervoy
Currently, Keytruda is approved for patients with advanced melanoma previously treated with Yervoy and, in some patients, another type of drug as well. That second- and third-line status limits the number of patients eligible for the drug.
Advantage Merck in the melanoma immunotherapy race. The US-based company says its PD-1 drug Keytruda met its goals in a head-to-head study with Bristol-Myers Squibb's Yervoy (ipilimumab), dealing a blow to that company's growing immunotherapy franchise.
Even better, Keytruda bested Yervoy in previously untreated patients with advanced melanoma, a result that could lead to a bigger market for the Merck med.
Keytruda hit its primary endpoints not only for stalling cancer progression, but for extending patients' lives—so-called overall survival, a key measure for regulators, doctors and payers. Merck stopped the study, called KEYNOTE-006, after trial monitors decided the results were strong enough to prompt a halt.
Read the complete article on FiercePharma: http://bit.ly/1HGL4Ox
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.
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NCCN Data Find Racial, Socioeconomic Disparities in Quality of Care for Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer
April 9th 2025New data from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) reveal that socially vulnerable and minority patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer are less likely to receive recommended treatments and achieve longer survival.
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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.
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