Laura Joszt, MA

Navigating Cancer has found patients, including those who are elderly, are adopting applications to stay connected with their care teams, said Amila Patel, PharmD, chief clinical officer, Navigating Cancer.

As part of the investigation into pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) should delve into how PBMs are impacting and fueling drug prices and set up guardrails to protect Americans, said Ted Okon, MBA, executive director, Community Oncology Alliance.

In retina surgery, obtaining prior authorization is an extra burden, and a delay in treatment for some of these patients could mean loss of vision, said Sabin Dang, MD, ophthalmologist with The Retina Institute.

Understanding that patients who are HER2-low are different from patients who are HER2-positive and -negative means having the right way to evaluate and identify these patients, explained Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, executive vice president of Texas Oncology.

The use of digital health solutions has been a tremendous benefit during the pandemic that should continue, said Susan Escudier, MD, FACP, vice president, value-based care and quality programs, Texas Oncology.

The budget allocates half of the money for the development of low-cost interchangeable insulin biosimilars and the other half for building an insulin manufacturing facility in the state.

Until recently, ophthalmologists in the United States have had no experience with biosimilars, despite the availability of biosimilars for bevacizumab, which is commonly used off label for ophthalmic conditions.

Previously, patients with low expression of HER2 were categorized as HER2-negative but adding the HER2-low classification creates new opportunities for patients with advanced breast cancer, explained Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, executive vice president of Texas Oncology.

While prior authorizations are put in place to ensure appropriate use of expensive therapies, they create a substantial burden for clinicians and patients, said Sabin Dang, MD, ophthalmologist with The Retina Institute.

Two posters presented at the American Society of Retina Specialists 40th Annual Scientific Meeting evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rates of patients lost to follow-up and patient perspectives regarding telehealth for retinal disease.

Posters presented at the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) 40th Annual Scientific Meeting evaluated the association between long-term visual acuity outcomes and use of anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy, as well as patient and caregiver experience with ant-VEGF.

While anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy is the first-line treatment for diabetic macular edema (DME), a majority of patients discontinue therapy after 6 months and there is no consensus on the ideal dosing paradigm.

Institutional racism within the medical field and the treatment of people from lower socioeconomic communities plays a large role in racial and ethnic inequities, explained Vivienne Hau, MD, clinical assistant professor with the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine.

A machine learning model was able to predict visual outcomes and showed that the time from diagnosis to first treatment indicates visual improvement in patients with macular edema due to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).

Although technology is allowing for earlier detection of eye conditions, lack of reimbursement and insurance coverage remain major barriers to widespread use, explained speakers at the American Society of Retina Specialists 40th Annual Scientific Meeting.

At the beginning of the pandemic, remote retinal imaging declined sharply due to a recommendation to stop nonessential eye care services in the first months of 2020, said Parisa Emami-Naeni, MD, MPH, assistant professor of ophthalmology at University of California, Davis, and vitreoretinal surgeon and uveitis specialist at UC Davis Eye Center.

Every year, the American Society of Retina Specialists releases the results of its latest Preferences and Trends Survey at the annual meeting. This year, the survey highlighted some surprising differences between US and international retina specialists, including off-label medication use and what drives drug choices for patients, said Paul Hahn, MD, vitreoretinal surgeon at NJRetina.

The retina space is evolving due to new technology that is changing the way specialists deliver care, whether that means offering the ability to do new procedures in the office or providing more virtual or hybrid care.

During a session at the American Society of Retina Specialists 40th Annual Scientific Meeting, speakers highlighted research into the opportunity cost of vitreoretinal surgery and the impact the pandemic had on retinal procedures and reimbursement in early 2020.

The study of postmenopausal women in Iran found the efficacy of the biosimilar was noninferior to the reference product and the safety was comparable after 18 months.

Triamcinolone acetonide injectable suspension (Xipere) uses a novel delivery mechanism that seems to benefit all patients with macular edema due to noninfectious uveitis, regardless of where the inflammation occurs, said Steven Yeh, MD, professor and the Stanley Truhlsen Jr. Chair in Ophthalmology at the Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Connecting with colleagues in person allows for meaningful conversations about the future of the retina care field and patients, said Steven Yeh, MD, professor and the Stanley Truhlsen Jr. Chair in Ophthalmology at the Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center.

The oncology space has seen successful adoption of biosimilars thanks to processes and formulary decisions driving conversion rates.

Digital health care has been a key initiative at Texas Oncology, because it ensure patients can receive better care at their home, explained Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, executive vice president of Texas Oncology.

Although the Oncology Care Model (OCM) is ending June 30, 2022, it does not mean practices can turn back the clock and revert to how they provided care prior to the OCM, explained Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, executive vice president of Texas Oncology.

Among a real-world cohort of patients, switching between infliximab biosimilars was effective and well tolerated, although retention was higher among those who had initially started on the originator product.

Abstracts presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting evaluated biosimilar use in practices participating in the Oncology Care Model (OCM) and estimated the savings as a result of substituting these agents for more expensive reference products.

Surveys of health care professionals, patients, and caregivers explored unmet needs in sickle cell disease (SCD), as well as the significant impact the disease has on everyday life.

As part of the Biosimilars Initiative, British Columbia, Canada, implemented a mandatory switch to biosimilar insulin glargine for patients covered by the province’s drug plan.

The Supreme Court has ruled that HHS' decision to lower reimbursement rates to hospitals so that those in the 340B program received reduced rates because they received discounted drugs was unlawful.