Special Issue Looks at What's Ahead in Precision Medicine

PLAINSBORO, N.J.—The term “precision medicine” wasn’t new when President Obama included it in the State of the Union address this year, but that high-profile mention indicated how much this area is expanding. Challenges and concerns have come with that growth, and Evidence-Based Oncology, a publication of The American Journal of Managed Care, has just published an issue dedicated to topics surrounding precision medicine. The full issue can be found here.

Precision medicine refers to connecting the right therapy to the right patient at the right time, and it requires evaluating the patient’s genetic and proteomic profile. While not limited to cancer care, much of the current drug development in precision medicine is happening in oncology. Many of the questions in the field concern how managed care should handle coverage decisions; for patients, having coverage often equates to having access to these new treatments. This makes precision medicine an important topic for Evidence-Based Oncology, which seeks to bring together perspectives of payers, healthcare policy experts, and providers.

Articles in this special issue include:

Personalized Medicine: On the Brink of Revolutionizing Cancer Care. This article by FDA’s Sean Khozin, MD, MPH, and Gideon Blumenthal, MD, of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products, traces the agency’s involvement with precision medicine and lists key approvals.

The Need to Eliminate Barriers in Personalized Medicine. Alan Balch, PhD, CEO of the Patient Advocacy Foundation, discusses the roadblocks that specialty tiers and pathways may create for patients seeking precision medicine treatments.

Precision Oncology: Are Payers on the Right Pathway? Jerry Conway and Mark Oldroyd, JD, of Foundation Medicine, encourage payers to take a proactive approach to integrate precision oncology to better manage quality, access, and cost.

Balancing Innovation With Cost in Diagnostic Testing. Gnanamba Varuni Kondagunta, MD, of Crystal Run Healthcare, discusses how the challenge of determining “value” will increase as treatment targets rise in common cancers.

Next-Generation Sequencing: Are We There Yet? EBO Managing Editor Surabhi Dangi-Garimella, PhD, explains the value that scientists see from next-generation sequencing, as well as the technical challenges and gaps in reimbursement.

Myriad’s New CEO Discusses Promises, Challenges of Changing Times in Genetic Testing. Mark Capone, who in June became the first new CEO at Myriad Genetics in 24 years, gives EBO an interview on his view of trends in the industry, the state of reimbursement, and what’s ahead scientifically in diagnostic testing.

About the Journals

The American Journal of Managed Care celebrates its 20^th year in 2015 as the leading peer-reviewed journal dedicated to issues in managed care. Other titles in the franchise include The American Journal of Pharmacy Benefits, which provides pharmacy and formulary decision-makers with information to improve the efficiency and health outcomes in managing pharmaceutical care, and The American Journal of Accountable Care, which publishes research and commentary on new healthcare delivery models facilitated by the 2010 Affordable Care Act. AJMC’s news publications, the Evidence-Based series, bring together stakeholder views from payers, providers, policymakers and pharmaceutical leaders in oncology and diabetes management. To order reprints of articles appearing in AJMC publications, please call (609) 716-7777, x 131.

CONTACT: Nicole Beagin (609) 716-7777 x 131

nbeagin@ajmc.com

www.ajmc.com