Clinical Pathways

Tumor response rate and progression-free survival were the benchmarks that helped pembrolizumab (Keytruda) gain accelerated approval as first-line treatment for metastatic nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), in combination with chemotherapy.

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has provided a D recommendation (discourages the use of service) for thyroid cancer screening in asymptomatic individuals.

The approval comes within months of avelumab being approved for the treatment of Merkel cell carcinoma.

The study of electronic medical records showed that patients on the SGLT2 inhibitor stayed on the medication longer, although both groups took the same amount of time to get their A1C below 8%.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a pilot project that will take advantage of expected savings from biosimilar medications, particularly expensive anticancer agents, to make these treatments available for low- and middle-income countries.

Midostaurin (Rydapt) has been approved by the FDA, in combination with chemotherapy, for the treatment of adult patients newly diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with a mutation in the FLT3 gene.

A new report published by the Urban Institute suggests that CMS’ Oncology Care Model could be substantially improved by incorporating a formal framework for shared decision making between patients and oncologists.

Eli Lilly and Company has announced that abemaciclib improved progression-free survival (PFS) when combined with an aromatase inhibitor (AI), compared with AI alone, in patients with breast cancer.

The National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC) today published a letter outlining its thoughts on the FDA draft guidance regarding manufacturer communications about off-label uses of drugs. Today was the final day to comment on the draft before the agency begins to formulate the final version of the guidance.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has raised concerns that utilization management strategies, especially for high-cost prescription drugs, could reduce patient access.

The Deloitte Center for Health Solutions recently interviewed individuals from health plans, providers, and clinical pathway developers that are participating, supporting, or evaluating oncology payment models to understand what approaches are perceived to be working, the early results, and the potential impact on innovation.

The approval comes following phase 2 results of 119 patients who participated in the IMvigor210 study.