Specialty Pharmacy

Pharmacy Times will be celebrating pharmacists throughout the month of October to recognize their contributions to the health care field.

Lauren C. Pinter-Brown, MD, FACP, of UCI Health and Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, explains what the role of the pharmacist is during the treatment of patients with advanced cutaneous T cell lymphoma.

Although specialty pharmacies may be able to offer some of the services that a hub provider does, a hub can standardize patient and provider support across the network.

Lauren C. Pinter-Brown, MD, FACP, of UCI Health and Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, addresses the areas that may need further investigation to progress advanced cutaneous T cell lymphoma treatments in the future.

Cemiplimab-rwlc is being developed by Regeneron and Sanofi under a global collaboration agreement.

Durvalumab in combination with oleclumab reduced the risk of non-small cell lung cancer disease progression or death by 56%, whereas patients receiving durvalumab and monalizumab had a 35% reduction.

The combination maintained superior OS and response benefits versus sunitinib in both patients with intermediate- and poor-risk prognostic factors, the primary endpoint population, and across all randomized patients.

Lauren C. Pinter-Brown, MD, FACP, of UCI Health and Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, explains what research is underway in the advanced cutaneous T cell lymphoma field that she is currently keeping an eye on.

Lauren C. Pinter-Brown, MD, FACP, of UCI Health and Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, describes some of the challenges providers face during the treatment of patients with advanced cutaneous T cell lymphoma and how to address them.

Enfortumab vedotin-ejfv (Seagen; Padcev) is a first-in-class antibody-drug conjugate approved for patients with previously treated locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer.

Lauren C. Pinter-Brown, MD, FACP, of UCI Health and Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, addresses how the treatment of advanced cutaneous T cell lymphoma has changed in recent years and whether there have been any advancements of note.

ALS results in muscles that are reduced in size (atrophic), weak, and soft, or muscles that are stiff, tight, and spastic.

Lauren C. Pinter-Brown, MD, FACP, of UCI Health and Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, provides an overview of key trials that have been conducted in the advanced cutaneous T cell lymphoma space in recent years.

Lauren C. Pinter-Brown, MD, FACP, of UCI Health and Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, explained whether the current advanced cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) treatment strategies available are applicable for all patients with advanced CTCL and how patients are selected for treatment.

The results of 3 phase 3 trials showed that the drug offered greater proportions of individuals with the condition who met the endpoints of clinical remission and endoscopic response.

Lauren C. Pinter-Brown, MD, FACP, of UCI Health and Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, described what advanced cutaneous T cell lymphoma is in terms of classification and what current treatment approaches are available.

An anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy, ranibizumab prevents vision loss in patients with retinal vascular disorders, which can cause irreversible blindness or visual impairments in adults.

REMS are not intended to minimize all harmful effects of a drug, but instead focus on preventing, tracking, and handling a specific serious risk by informing, educating, and/or enforcing measures that reduce the frequency and/or intensity of the event.

Apalutamide (Erleada, Johnson & Johnson) demonstrated a strong prostate-specific antigen response and high adherence rates in patients with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

The 5 largest specialty therapeutic groups—oncology, autoimmune, immunology, HIV, and multiple sclerosis—will account for 74% of specialty spending growth over the next five years.

Tucatinib is indicated to treat adults with advanced unresectable or metastatic human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer who have already received at least 1 anti-HER2-based regimen in the metastatic setting.

In MS, the immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibers, causing deterioration of the nerves.

Beyond the benefits to the pharmacist profession, granting provider status to pharmacists addresses the larger societal problem of growing physician shortages.

Lola Fashoyin-Aje, MD, MPH, associate director of Science & Policy Program to Address Disparities at the FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence, discusses the importance of promoting inclusion of members of racial and ethnic minority groups in cancer drug trials.

The results of a new study show a new view of genetic regulation by uncovering how genes and disease are related.

As specialty drugs move through clinical trials and preparations for commercialization begin, significant attention is warranted to this process considering the massive investments that would have been already made in the product up to this point.

Harry Webster, RPh, a registered pharmacist at Walgreens and a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, discusses the impact of stigma associated with PrEP and HIV on patients seeking to treat or prevent HIV.

The guidance noted it is preferable for immunocompromised patients to receive their third dose in a health care delivery setting rather than a pharmacy or public vaccination clinic.

The FDA has approved a second drug, zanubritinib, for the treatment of adult patients with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia.

The FDA has also converted the indication for pembrolizumab from an accelerated to a full, regular approval for patients with urothelial carcinoma.