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.
Dr Michael Cohen Contrasts the Manifestation and Treatment of Wet vs Dry AMD
Michael N. Cohen, MD, a retinal surgeon at Wills Eye Hospital and Mid Atlantic Retina, describes the differences between wet and dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and how gene therapy could help treat the condition in the future.
Dr Richard Allen Speaks on the Evolution of Oculoplastic Surgery for Children
Richard C. Allen, MD, PhD, FACS, an oculoplastic surgeon at Texas Children's Hospital and a professor at Baylor College of Medicine, spoke on how oculoplastic surgery in pediatric patients has changed at the American Academy of Ophthalmology's 2022 conference.
Dr Michael Chiang Chronicles the NEI's Research Into AI, Telemedicine in Ophthalmology
Advances in imaging and data science are changing the nature of retina practice, and retina specialists need to stay on top of these, said Michael F. Chiang, MD, director of the National Eye Institute (NEI), who also discussed some of the current research the agency is conducting into artificial intelligence (AI) and telemedicine.
Dr Michel Michaelides Dives Into How Gene Therapy Can Treat Retinitis Pigmentosa
Gene therapy can be used to treat retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited eye disease, and there is likely to be an increase in approved gene therapies for ophthalmic conditions, explained Michel Michaelides, MD, FACP, a consultant ophthalmologist and a professor of ophthalmology at the University College London Institute of Ophthalmology's Genetics Department.
Expensive Targeted Lung Cancer Therapies Need to Be Tailored to the Right Patient
Targeted therapies have improved outcomes for patients with lung cancer, but the goal needs to be tailoring the right therapy to the right patient, said Ticiana Leal, MD, associate professor, director of the Thoracic Medical Oncology Program, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine.
Dr William Oh Discusses Goals of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
William Oh, MD, chief medical officer at Sema4 and a clinical professor of medicine at Mount Sinai, discusses Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and possible reasons for disparities in diagnoses and mortality in prostate cancer.
Dr Ajay Nooka Discusses Cost Savings and QOL Benefits of MRD-Directed Treatment Decisions
Being able to use minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity to make treatment decisions, such as stopping maintenance therapy, can have savings related to cost and quality of life (QOL) for patients, said Ajay Nooka, MD, MPH, FACP, associate professor, Winship Cancer Institute.
Real-world Lung Cancer Testing Rates Are Lower Than They Should Be, Says Dr Ticiana Leal
Biomarker testing should be done on all patients with an initial diagnosis of advanced nonsquamous non–small cell lung cancer, but the testing rates in the real world are lower than they should be, particularly for underserved or minority populations, said Ticiana Leal, MD, associate professor, director of the Thoracic Medical Oncology Program, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine.
How Should MRD Results Be Used? Experts Don’t Necessarily Agree, Dr Ajay Nooka Says
Everyone agrees that minimal residual disease (MRD) is the best prognostic tool for multiple myeloma, but there is disagreement on how to use the MRD results, said Ajay Nooka, MD, MPH, FACP, associate professor, Winship Cancer Institute.
Dr Ajay Nooka Discusses Use of MRD Testing in Multiple Myeloma at Emory
Minimal residual disease (MRD) testing is used to understand the depth of response, but currently the data at Emory are not used to make treatment decisions, said Ajay Nooka, MD, MPH, FACP, associate professor, Winship Cancer Institute.
How Health Care Institutions Can Leverage Biosimilars to Generate Savings
On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Ryan Haumschild, PharmD, MS, MBA, from Emory Healthcare and the Winship Cancer Institute, explains the evolution of biosimilar pharmacoeconomics and the different strategies that health care institutions can implement to reap the benefits of biosimilar savings.
Medicines for Europe: Off-Patent Medicines Could Strengthen Europe’s Health Systems
During its annual conference in Spain, Medicines for Europe shared recommendations for greater use of off-patent medications, such as biosimilars and generics, as a way ensure medicines remain available to patients in light of global events and supply chain issues.
Most Patients Received Inadequate Information on Switching to Biosimilars, Survey Finds
A survey of patients with breast cancer and oncologists found that when switching to a trastuzumab biosimilar from the reference product (Herceptin), many patients were not given adequate information on what biosimilars are and their benefits.
Lessons Learned in New Orleans Can Be Shared Across the US, Powell Says
This the third installment of a series of interviews on Takeda’s partnership with Xavier University of Louisiana (T-REX), Takeda's Lauren Powell, MPA, PhD, discussed the impact Louisiana's hospital system has had on her work and the need for the pharmaceutical industry to invest in more partnerships like T-REX.
Dr Lauren Powell: Takeda’s Partnership With Xavier Is a Long-term Investment
In the second interview in a series, Takeda’s Lauren Powell, MPA, PhD, vice president, US Health Equity & Community Wellness, discussed how a partnership with Xavier University of Louisiana will unfold over several years.
Dr Zahra Mahmoudjafari Explains How Payers Can Better Manage CAR T Costs, Increase Access
Zahra Mahmoudjafari, PharmD, BCOP, clinical pharmacy manager at the University of Kansas Health System, explains some of the strategies that payers can use to improve cost management and increase patient access related to chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapies.
Adding Drug Costs to the Clinical Support Equation
Amy Valley, PharmD, vice president of clinical strategy and technology solutions, Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions, discusses the Decision Path, a clinical support tool designed to inform oncology providers about drug costs along with clinical information, all embedded into the electronic health record workflow.
Vitamin D Provides Therapeutic Benefit Among Patients With MM, Review Says
A literature review revealed that supplementation with vitamin D could provide therapeutic benefits for patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who are undergoing chemotherapy. However, more research is needed to confirm findings.
AACR Posters Demonstrate CGP for Biomarker Detection and Multiomics Profiling
Posters from the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting demonstrated the use of genomic profiling and sequencing can detect immunotherapy biomarkers and predict clinical outcomes in patients with cancer.
The Challenges of Living With Narcolepsy While Pregnant and How Providers Can Help
A panel of providers and patients with narcolepsy who are parents shared the struggles and possible support tools that neurologists and other providers should be aware of when caring for patients with narcolepsy who are pregnant or postpartum.
Idiopathic Hypersomnia Needs More Attention to Overcome Challenges Regarding Diagnosis and Treatment
During her presentation at SLEEP 2022, Isabelle Arnulf, MD, PhD, a neurologist and professor, detailed the long list of challenges for understanding different aspects of idiopathic hypersomnia and called for more attention to be devoted to future research.
In Keynote Address, Dr Susan Redline Refutes Report Claiming CPAP May Not Improve Health Outcomes
Susan Redline, MD, MPH, the SLEEP 2022 meeting keynote speaker, catalogued the evidence proving that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) does improve health outcomes—refuting a recent controversial report that claims otherwise.
Race Is Not a Risk Factor for Disrupted Sleep, but Racism Is
A panel of experts at the SLEEP 2022 conference argued against considering race a risk factor for health complications and disrupted sleep, saying that being on the receiving end of racial discrimination is the true risk factor.