Maggie L. Shaw

These interviews are the top episodes, by listens, from among the 21 podcast episodes The American Journal of Managed Care® produced over the first half of 2025. Give them all another listen, and perhaps learn something new.

Despite recommendations on early referral for lung transplantation in cases of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), there is a lack of in-depth understanding of this current landscape; in this analysis, clinical parameter data were used to compare outcomes between patients who were and were not referred for lung transplantation.

Sanjay Doddamani, MD, MBA, a former senior advisor to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, and internist and cardiologist by training, explains how the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model hopes to work, and addresses concerns about delays and denials from revamped prior authorization processes.

Three patient outcomes were measured in this new study: time to onset of ocular-related myasthenia gravis, Activities of Daily Living response, and Minimal Symptom Expression.

With few real-life studies that have specifically focused on how atopic dermatitis (AD) affects patients living with the chronic inflammatory skin condition in Latin American countries, the present authors investigated dupilumab-related outcomes among 100 patients using SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index values.

The global burden of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) remains great, with cases jumping 85.6% in 32 years.

Mirima Freimer, MD, delves into potential reasons behind the longer-term efficacy of zilucoplan and also speaks to the treatment’s safety profile.

Access to and affordability of immune checkpoint inhibitors, which can be lifesaving if patients receive them on time and under optimal circumstances, continue to top the list of reasons behind outcomes disparities for patients who have private insurance vs those who remain uninsured.

For the second time in under 3 weeks, the FDA has approved a treatment for the inherited genetic disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of severe swelling.

The market for artificial sweeteners has been projected to increase by almost 75% from 2025 through 2033, or from $3.11 billion to $5.44 billion.

Nipocalimab's FDA approval revolutionizes generalized myasthenia gravis treatment, offering rapid symptom relief and improved patient outcomes across diverse populations.

In myasthenia gravis, complement plays a big role in what happens to the muscle end of the neuromuscular junction, explains Miriam Freimer, MD, an author on 5 abstracts presented at the recent 15th MGFA International Conference on Myasthenia and Related Disorders.

This new meta-analysis looked to better solidify connections between atopic dermatitis and environmental irritants, such as climate change and pollution.

Previous knowledge on melatonin use for pulmonary arterial hypertension has primarily been gathered from animal studies, with oxidative stress implicated in the disease’s progression and severity.

Iptacopan targets one of the major proteins involved in the enzymes of the alternative pathway of complement, explains Carla Nester, MD, of Stead Family Children's Hospital.

Richard Lafayette, MD, FACP, explains why a REMS program is not required for the endothelin A receptor antagonist and how patients may need to adjust should final ALIGN trial data fail to show a clinical benefit of atrasentan.

In this interview, Richard J. Nowak, MD, MS, principal investigator of the MINT trial of inebilizumab for generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG), discusses the trial’s key findings, including significant improvements in patient- and physician-assessed outcomes, as well as longer-term implications and future areas of investigation.

Up to 257 million Americans could benefit from these prior authorization reforms that could have cross-market implications on health care plans administered through commercial insurers, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid.

This research highlights the key factors, like leadership buy-in, mandatory protocols, and electronic health record workflows, that influence the effective collection of data on sexual orientation and gender identity in outpatient oncology clinics to improve patient-centered care.

In this interview with TRUST-I and TRUST-II trial investigator, Jorge J. Nieva, MD, USC Keck School of Medicine, he walks through the design of the trials, the results that supported the FDA approval, and taletrectinib’s potential to redefine first-line therapy.

Delays, denials, and endless paperwork—prior authorization isn’t just a headache for providers; it’s a barrier for patients who need timely care, explains Colin Banas, MD, MHA, chief medical officer with DrFirst.

Surbhi Sidana, MD, MBBS, director of the Myeloma Disease Focused Group at Stanford University, provides a reintroduction to CARTITUDE-4 and insight on how this phase 3 investigation builds on previous findings of CAR T vs standard-of-care findings in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM)

This study highlights the vital role of caregivers in supporting women living with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and underscores the need to enhance caregiver support and address unmet needs to improve patient outcomes.

This study reveals that dupilumab is associated with a modestly increased risk of developing psoriasis, highlighting the importance of monitoring skin reactions during therapy.

CEPHEUS trial lead investigator Saad Z. Usmani, MD, MBA, FACP, FASCO, explains how the trial both builds on current knowledge of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma and how transplant-ineligible status may affect therapeutic decision-making.

Noah Greenspan, DPT, PT, CCS, EMT-B, cardiopulmonary physical therapist and director of the Pulmonary Wellness and Rehabilitation Center in New York City, reflects on how the reality of COVID-19 infection proved far more complex than initially thought.

Outcomes were evaluated among children born between April 1980 and June 2019 by using data from 12 observational birth cohorts from the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Children’s Respiratory and Environmental Workgroup.

Marla Black Morgan, MD, looks to the future of research in both myasthenia gravis and rare neurological disorders by expanding data collection and identifying areas of potential difference in patient outcomes.

Zilucoplan (Zilbrysq; UCB) is a once-daily subcutaneous C5 complement inhibitor that has demonstrated long-term treatment benefits in patients who have acetylcholine receptor antibody–positive generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG).

This next-generation ROS1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor previously received breakthrough therapy and orphan drug designations for the same patient population, as well as additional non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) indications.