Interviews

The placebo effect is a major problem in cough trials and can make it impossible to tell the true pharmacological effect of the medicine being studied, said Ron Eccles, BSc, PhD, DSc, emeritus professor at Cardiff University.

The P2X3 antagonists are the furthest along in the drug development process, but there are other potential drugs being evaluated to treat chronic cough, which currently has no FDA-approved therapies on the market, said Peter Dicpinigaitis, MD, chair of the American Cough Conference.

Desensitizing the cough reflex and new technologies based on artificial intelligence are some of the oral abstracts that Jacky Smith, MB, ChB, FRCP, PhD, professor of respiratory medicine at the University of Manchester and an honorary consultant at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, who chairs that session, is looking forward to at the American Cough Conference.

Michael Thorpy, MD, director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center, Montefiore, and professor of neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, discusses aspects of the Idiopathic Hypersomnia Severity Scale, and how it fared in measuring symptoms of idiopathic hypersomnia compared with traditional scales.

The phase 2 ZUMA-3 trial of brexucabtagene autoleucel showed that it is possible to intervene early to prevent some toxicity, said Bijal Shah, MD, associate member in the Department of Malignant Hematology at Moffitt Cancer Center.

The interim results on the first 415 patients randomized in the phase 3 ALPINE study showed a significantly better response for zanubrutinib compared with ibrutinib in patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia and small lymphocytic leukemia, said Peter Hillmen, PhD, MB ChB, professor at the University of Leeds.

Chronic cough makes it difficult to be in public, whether socially or professionally, explained Paulette Nyahay, a patient with chronic cough. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, having a coughing spasm in public has been difficult.

Larry D. Anderson Jr, MD, PhD, associate professor, Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses updated findings of the phase II KarMMa trial assessing ide-cel chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma after 4 or more prior lines of therapy.

Rebecca Spencer, PhD, professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and co-chair of SLEEP 2021, highlights takeaways from this year’s meeting and discussions she’s looking forward to.

Michael Thompson, president and CEO of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, discussed findings of his organization’s Pulse of the Purchaser survey that signaled a return to a stabilized business environment.

Camille Hertzka, vice president and head of oncology, US Medical, AstraZeneca, speaks on how the OlympiA findings may warrant greater need of genetic testing for BRCA mutation and the efficacy of olaparib by patient subgroup.

Rajat Bannerji, MD, PhD, Chief, Section of Hematologic Malignancies at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey/RWJBarnabas Health, speaks on the efficacy and safety findings of the CAPTIVATE study examining the fixed-duration regimen of ibutinib and venetoclax combination therapy in CLL.

Shalini Paruthi, MD, medical codirector, St. Luke’s Hospital Sleep Medicine and Research Center, and cochair of SLEEP 2021, discusses the sessions and discussions she is looking forward to at this year's meeting.

Farrah Kheradmand, MD, elaborates on the effects of marijuana legalization and increased recreational use on research into electronic cigarettes.

Camille Hertzka, vice president and head of Oncology, US Medical, AstraZeneca, discussed updated findings of the PACIFIC trial that indicated a third of patients with unresectable non-small cell lung cancer are stable at 5 years.

Antoine Italiano, MD, PhD, head of Early Phase Trials and Sarcoma Units at Institut Bergonié, Bordeaux, France, addresses findings of an extended follow-up of larotrectinib in patients with TRK fusion cancer that indicated prolonged progression-free survival in those undergoing the NTRK inhibitor.

Kirk Shepard, MD, chief medical officer, senior vice president, and head of Global Medical Affairs, Eisai, discusses findings of a study showcasing similar health-related quality of life (HRQOL) scores between lenvatinib/pembrolizumab vs chemotherapy in patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma.

Christopher Arendt, PhD, head, Oncology Therapeutic Area Unit, Takeda, speaks on efficacy and safety findings of the OPTIC study examining dose optimization of ponatinib in patients with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CP-CML) resistant to second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy.

Barriers to authorship and adequate representation of women in heart failure–focused clinical trials need to be addressed, noted Mariana Garcia, MD, cardiology fellow in the Academic Clinical Investigator Pathway at Emory University and member of T32, Multidisciplinary Research Training to Reduce Inequalities in Cardiovascular Health (METRIC).

Robert Iannone, MD, MSCE, executive vice president of research and development for Jazz Pharmaceuticals, addresses findings of an abstract presented at ASCO 2021 which showed preliminary efficacy of lurbinectedin in combination with irinotecan in patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma.

The 2-day meeting of the American Cough Conference will cover new developments in the treatment of cough, as well as insights into the mechanisms and management of cough, said Peter Dicpinigaitis, MD, chair of the American Cough Conference.

This week marks the 40th anniversary of the CDC's June 5, 1981, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report describing rare instances of immunocompromised status among 5 homosexual men in Los Angeles. The American Journal of Managed Care® spoke recently with lead author Michael Gottlieb, MD, who was the first to describe what would come to be known as HIV and AIDS.

Nicotine replacement therapy can help with smoking cessation, but there are dangers of using e-cigarettes, said Laura Crotty Alexander, MD, ATSF.

Sonia T. Oskouei, PharmD, BCMAS, DPLA, from Cardinal Health, talks about the differences between provider and pharmacist concerns and whether health organizations giving more power to pharmacists causes conflict with physicians.

Rachael McCann, senior director at Willis Towers Watson, speaks of the greater need for mental health and well-being resources from employers to address caregiving demands amid the pandemic.

In the June 5, 1981, issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the CDC, a brief 3-page report appeared describing 5 rare cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia among 5 homosexual men in Los Angeles. Our full Q&A with the lead author on that report, Michael Gottlieb, MD, will appear next week. Below is a video preview.

Sonia T. Oskouei, PharmD, BCMAS, DPLA, from Cardinal Health, explains the ramifications that interchangeability designations will have on biosimilars and when we might see the first interchangeable biosimilar in the United States.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Gregory Harris, MD, MPH, DFAPA, senior medical director for behavioral health at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, about the challenges of meeting the demand for mental health service during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Michelle M Cloutier, MD, is professor emerita at UCONN Health in Farmington, Connecticut, and chair of the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) Coordinating Committee Expert Panel Working Group.

Injectable versions of HIV treatments and pre-exposure prophylaxis will be a game changer in terms of convenience over daily pills, noted Perry N. Halkitis, PhD, MS, MPH, dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health and director of the Center for Health, Identity, Behavior and Prevention Studies.