Skylar is an associate editor for The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) and The Center for Biosimilars®, and joined AJMC® in 2020. She is responsible for covering all aspects of the ever-changing global biosimilar industry and produces content that is accessible and informative for all health care stakeholders.
She has a BA in journalism and media studies from Rutgers University. You can connect with Skylar on LinkedIn.
Real-World Study Confirms Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab Safety in Advanced NSCLC
March 8th 2024A real-world study confirmed that the rate of adverse events associated with first-line nivolumab plus iplimumab therapy was in line with the safety profiles of other immuno-oncology and chemotherapy combination regimens.
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ASH Abstracts Showcase Effective Treatments for MM, CLL, FL
January 20th 2024Abstracts from the 65th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition provided new insight into multiple treatments for patients with multiple myeloma (MM), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and follicular lymphoma (FL).
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Vaccines Reduce Declines in Respiratory Parameters Post COVID-19 Among Health Care Workers
December 29th 2023Health care workers who received SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations were found to be protected against declines in respiratory parameters after overcoming COVID-19, highlighting the importance of COVID-19 vaccines for health care workers.
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Descriptions of Physical Limitations, Symptoms of DMD From the Patient, Caregiver Perspective
December 29th 2023A recent study encapsulates how patients and caregivers characterize the impact of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) on patients’ physical limitations and symptom burden, potentially helping to inform patient-centered strategies for assessing clinical outcomes in DMD research.
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More-Expensive SMA Medication Use Led to Lower Health Care Resource Utilization
December 27th 2023Patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) treated with a more expensive medication were found to have higher pharmacy costs but lower SMA-related health care resource utilization and medical costs compared with patients receiving standard-of-care nusinersen monotherapy.
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Interventions Needed to Increase DMT Uptake in Sickle Cell Disease
December 26th 2023A recent study found that uptake of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) has been low among patients with sickle cell disease, suggesting that more interventions that consider individual patient characteristics are needed to improve adoption.
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Are Unrefreshing Naps Associated With Fragmented Sleep in Idiopathic Hypersomnia?
December 20th 2023A study investigating potential subtypes of idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) found that patients with IH who experience unrefreshing naps have less fragmented sleep compared with those who take refreshing naps, suggesting unrefreshing naps could serve as a supportive IH clinical feature.
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Obesity, Women’s Health, Health Equity Among Top Benefit Focuses for Employers in 2024
December 19th 2023A new survey from the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions found that employers are planning to place a larger focus on obesity management, women’s health, and health equity in 2024 and beyond.
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Drug Overdoses Leading to Cardiac Arrest Rising, Particularly With Stimulant-Opioid Combination
November 25th 2023A population-based study found that out-of-hospital cardiac arrest events resulting from drug overdoses have significantly increased from 2015 to 2021, particularly among patients who have taken a combination of stimulants and opioids.
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Study Finds Link Between Depression, Functional Impairment in Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis
November 24th 2023Depression symptoms are often underdiagnosed and undertreated in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, contributing to a worsened quality of life (QOL). However, a recent study found that depression, functional impairment, and worsened QOL are related.
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Early Changes in PROs Are Linked With Treatment Response, Survival in Gastrointestinal Cancer
November 21st 2023A cohort study found that early changes in patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were associated with treatment response and survival outcomes in patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer, supporting the need for more routine implementation of PRO monitoring in cancer care spaces.
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IQVIA Report Spotlights Shortages for Pain, Obesity, and Oncology Therapies
November 21st 2023A new report from IQVIA provides an overview of current US drug shortages, shedding light on major areas of concern, such as medications to address pain, cardiovascular conditions, obesity and diabetes, and multiple forms of cancer.
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Dr Parth Rali Explains Challenges of Managing Intermediate-Risk Pulmonary Embolism
November 20th 2023Dr. Parth Rali, MD, of Temple University Hospital explained the challenges of managing patients with intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) and how risk stratification tools can help to address these challenges.
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Opt-In vs Opt-Out Patient Outreach Programs Yield Similar Mammography Completion Rates
October 21st 2023No differences in mammography completion were observed between an automated opt-out vs an opt-in patient outreach program for breast cancer screening, according to a randomized controlled trial. However, differences in administration burden between programs could lead clinics to prefer one over the other.
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Study: Heated Tobacco Products May Be Safer Than Combustible Cigarettes in COPD
October 20th 2023Researchers found that heated tobacco products can reduce risks of exacerbations and exposure to toxic chemicals compared with combustible cigarettes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
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As More Gene Therapies Come to Market, Access and Affordability Remain Concerns
October 19th 2023Operational forecasting for patients who are eligible for gene therapies will be crucial for addressing the accessibility and affordability challenges with these agents, especially as more gene therapies are expected to enter the market in the next few years.
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Panelists Highlight Gaps in Research on Whether 340B Discount Program Is Working
October 19th 2023During a session at AMCP Nexus, panelists provided a historical overview on the 340B drug discount program, highlighting the intentions of the plan and the research gaps leading to misconceptions about the program and whether it’s working to lower costs for patients.
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Panelists Discuss IRA Provisions Impacting Medicare in 2024 and Beyond
October 19th 2023Speakers at AMCP Nexus 2023 reviewed the major changes resulting from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that impacted Medicare in 2023 and previewed the new provisions being implemented in the coming years.
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Specialty Pipeline Includes Drugs for Alzheimer Disease, Hemophilia, NASH, and More
October 18th 2023At AMCP Nexus, Evernorth's Aimee Tharaldson, PharmD, provided an overview of which medications the FDA has approved in 2023 and what’s to come in nononcology areas over the next 5 years, including new drugs for Alzheimer disease, hemophilia, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
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Stigma About Obesity Keeps Patients From Seeking Care, Creating Nationwide Disparities
October 18th 2023Panelists at AMCP Nexus provided an overview of the US obesity epidemic, dispelling myths about the causes of obesity, highlighting racial and economic disparities across the nation, and tackling how the managed care space can ensure accessibility to care for all patients.
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