Specialty Pharmacy

Top news of week from Specialty Pharmacy Times.

Top news from across the health care landscape.

Patients diagnosed with Crohn disease and colorectal cancer (CRC) have a higher rate of mortality than patients without Crohn disease who are also diagnosed with CRC.

In a Directions in Oncology PharmacyTM Peer Exchange series, experts explained the right time to use bevacizumab, either as a front-line therapy or at the time of disease progression.

In recent history, drug shortages became somewhat of a phenomenon, tripling from 61 shortages in 2005 to 178 in 2010.

In a Directions in Oncology Pharmacy Peer Exchange series, experts discuss the PRIMA trial and the rationale for using PARP inhibitors.

Enfortumab vedotin-ejfv in combination with the anti-PD1-therapy pembrolizumab for the treatment of patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who are unable to receive cisplatin-based chemotherapy in the first-line setting.

The FDA has accepted Genentech’s supplemental biologics license application (sBLA) and granted priority review for atezolizumab (Tecentriq) as a first-line monotherapy for some patients with advanced non-squamous and squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Top news from across the health care landscape.

Per capita health spending for 160 million Americans in employer-sponsored health plans grew by 4.4% in 2018, marking the third consecutive year of growth above 4%.

In the current chaotic environment of reimbursement that depends on quality and cost savings, pharmacists should increase their presence.

In the pivotal phase 3 KEYNOTE-355 study, pembrolizumab (Keytruda, Merck) combined with chemotherapy met one of its dual primary endpoints of progression-free survival (PFS) as a first-line treatment for patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) whose tumors expressed programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1).

Top news from across the health care landscape.

New on-demand approach could aid where the absence of pharmacies, physician offices, or basic refrigeration makes it difficult to access critical medicines, daily use chemicals, and other small-molecule compounds.

Although the specialty industry brings a positive impact across quality and continuity of care initiatives, the administration of specialty drugs is highly complex with the number of new therapies and payer requirements.

The DKFZ discovered traces of a total of 23 different virus types in 356 patients with cancer. The most common drivers of tumor initiation and growth were found, including the genome of Epstein-Barr viruses (EBV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV).

WHO Strategy Could End Cervical Cancer Tops SPT Week in Review

Top news from across the health care landscape.

There are 5 available EGFR TKIs for the treatment of patients with EGFR-mutant lung cancers: gefitinib (Iressa), erlotinib (Tarceva), afatinib (Gilotrif), dacomitinib (Vizimpro), and osimertinib.

The Fair Access to Cancer Treatment Act is expected to be signed by Governor Tom Wolf in the near future.

Top news from across the health care landscape.

Study findings provide further basis for dietary interventions as future treatments for disorders such as multiple sclerosis.

CAR NK cells are allogenic, which is defined as taking the cells from a non-related healthy donor rather than the patient themselves. Therefore, CAR NK cells have the potential to be manufactured in advance and stored for off-the-shelf immediate use.

Top news from across the health care landscape.

Based on molecular similarities in human and canine diffuse gliomas, researchers have posited that working to cure brain cancer in dogs may lead to improved treatments and even a cure for humans.

Positive results were based on the PROSPER trial, which evaluated the overall survival of enzalutamide plus androgen deprivation therapy versus standard of care.

Capmatinib is an investigational, oral, and selective MET inhibitor, and if approved, it will be the first therapy to specifically target METex14 mutated advanced lung cancer, according to the company.

While KTE-X19 is not yet approved in any country, its Marketing Authorization Application has been validated in the European Union, and its target action date in the United States is August 10, 2020.

Top news from across the health care landscape.

Two studies published in The Lancet have developed models to examine what may happen if the World Health Organization commits to a 3-part strategy to end cervical cancer.