Interviews

At the 2023 COA Payer Exchange Summit being held October 23-24 in Reston, Virginia, Lalan Wilfong, MD, US Oncology Network, emphasizes the importance of oncology care equity, ensuring continuity of care, and enhancing care coordination.

Tina Cascone, MD, PhD, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the impact of the CheckMate 77T study on the treatment approach for non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Christina Barrington, PharmD, of Priority Health, explained the keys to leading a successful managed care organization, as well as where she predicts the industry will be in the future.

Thomas Powles, MD, MBBS, MRCP, from Barts Cancer Centre, shares insights from the EV-302/KEYNOTE-A39 trial and its implications for the future of enfortumab vedotin and pembrolizumab (EV+P) combination therapy for urothelial carcinoma.

There are many drugs that have been around for years and others with strong data awaiting FDA approval that are beneficial in treating conditions like atopic dermatitis and alopecia areata, said James Q. Del Rosso, DO.

Kimberly Maxfield, PhD, of the FDA reflected upon how the FDA is uplifting the US biosimilar industry.

Kevin Kalinsky, MD, MS, of Glenn Family Breast Center, gives insight into the real-world data supporting the use of sacituzumab govitecan-hziy in the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Max Parmar, professor of medical statistics and epidemiology at University College London, unpacks what clinicians and patients can gain from the application of multiarm multistage (MAMS) trials.

Atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) can present differently in diverse patients, potentially leading to delayed diagnosis and therefore delayed treatment, explained James Song, MD, director of clinical research and associate chief medical officer at Frontier Dermatology.

The FDA approval of topical ruxolitinib 1.5% cream changed the game for vitiligo treatment in both adult and pediatric patients, said Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD, assistant professor of dermatology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.

Prerakkumar Parikh, PharmD, of Megallen Rx Management/Prime Therapeutics, detailed the impact of formulary placement of biosimilars on cost burden along with how stakeholders can work with pharmacy benefit managers to promote biosimilar use.

Peter A. Lio, MD, clinical assistant professor of dermatology and pediatrics at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, addresses how dermatologists need to focus on patient needs when determining the best use of new biologics in moderate to severe atopic dermatitis.

Saira Jan, PharmD, MS, of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, discussed the primary findings of their collaborative pilot program with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and RWJ Barnabas Health, focusing on patient and provider experiences.

Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors are not only efficacious in terms of skin disease improvement, but also in terms of itch management, explained Mona Shahriari, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University and associate director of clinical trials at Central Connecticut Dermatology.

Brian Mullen, PhD, head of innovation and product at The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic, discusses the implementation of digital health tools and strategies made by The Clinic and what these improvements mean for its patients.

Chelsee Jensen, PharmD, BCPS, of Mayo Clinic, commented on the recent FDA biosimilar approvals and what they mean for the industry's future, as well as how to ensure biosimilars are accessible to all patients.

The landscape for biologics to treat patients with psoriasis looks excellent, said April Armstrong, MD, MPH, professor and chief of dermatology at UCLA.

Eric Donnenfeld, MD, from Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island, discusses the importance of the Xdemvy FDA approval in treating patients with Demodex blepharitis.

Kristen Whelchel, PharmD, CSP, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, details what services medically integrated dispensing (MID) specialty pharmacies provide.

Pawel Sobczuk, MD, PhD, of the Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology in Warsaw, Poland, previews the upcoming ESMO Congress 2023 in Madrid, Spain.

Jeff McIntyre, MA, of the Global Liver Institute, discussed how the delayed diagnosis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) affects patients and how health care and managed care professionals can help expedite diagnosis and treatment.

Kimberly Westrich, MA, of Cencora, explains how US payers' views and uses of value assessment tools have evolved.

To ensure patients are getting timely access to their treatments, there needs to be better collaboration between payers and providers, said Christine Pfaff, RPh, senior regional director of operations, American Oncology Network.

Ben Urick, PharmD, PhD, of Prime Therapeutics, compares the value of medically integrated specialty pharmacies with that of mail order pharmacies.

Joseph Chervenak, MD, MBA, obstetrician and gynecologist, Montefiore Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Health, breaks down the benefits and challenges associated with implementing large language models such as ChatGPT into reproductive medicine and fertility care.

Kristine Slam, MD, FACP, Central Ohio Surgical Associates, addresses the importance of involving patients in decisions regarding their goals for treatment, emphasizing that this involvement is critical to uncover what they value, as well as their short- and long-term goals for treatment.

Peter A. Lio, MD, clinical assistant professor of dermatology and pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, gives a preview of his session on mild to moderate atopic dermatitis (AD) in skin of color.

Biosimilars are becoming more common as more launch on the market in the United States, but patient and provider education can help speed uptake of these products, explained Bincy Abraham, MD, Houston Methodist – Weill Cornell.

Alma Habib, MD, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, talks about the fact that disparities are able to be recognized in leukemia/lymphoma care, but the questions of how to address these disparities remain.

Older patients often face financial challenges on fixed incomes with different payer systems like Medicare, Sarah Wall, MD, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, says. Accessing treatment centers far away is difficult due to support system disruptions, leading to increased stress and financial strain.