Interviews

Speakers at the 2024 International Myeloma Society (IMS) conference share the updates from the myeloma space that they were most excited about this year.

Klaus Rabe, MD, PhD, chest physician and professor of medicine, University of Kiel, discusses improvements in lung function observed in patients enrolled in the BOREAS trial.

April Armstrong, MD, MPH, chief of dermatology, UCLA, discusses the impact of a new oral therapy option for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.

Value-based agreements come with risks and benefits, but a health system’s existing facilities and initiatives can help support the goals associated with them, JT Lew, PharmD, MBA, a managed care pharmacist at MultiCare Health System, explained.

In less than a month, from August 20 to September 19, amivantamab (Ami; Rybrevant, Johnson & Johnson) received 2 approvals from the FDA for use in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

September is National Recovery Month, and we are bringing you another limited-edition month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. In our final episode, we speak with Lyndra Bills, MD, and Shari Hutchison, MS.

While previous trials have led to questions surrounding the potential benefits of valve interventions in mitral or tricuspid regurgitation, a pair of trials presented recently demonstrate their potential, Javed Butler, MD, MPH, MBA, president of the Baylor Scott and White Research Institute, said.

Finerenone is at least as effective in patients who are in the hospital or were recently hospitalized for heart failure as those with stable condition, said Akshay Desai, MD, of Brigham & Women’s Hospital.

As cancer therapies extend patients’ lifespans, it’s important to implement cardioprotective strategies, said Aaron Adkisson, PharmD, of University of Kentucky.

Binod Dhakal, MD, associate professor, division of hematology and oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin and lead investigator of the CARTITUDE-4 study, presented updated data at the 2024 International Myeloma Society conference.

After a small number of practices joined the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) in 2023, CMS has made some changes and opened the model back up for new practices to join.

Delia Orosco, MS, director of Community Wellness Centers at Inland Empire Health Plan, shares insight into innovative initiatives provided by the wellness centers and their new mobile mammogram clinics.

On September 19, the FDA handed down its third amivantamab (Rybrevant; Johnson & Johnson) approval for 2024 in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), giving the third-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor its fourth approval overall.

Ashraf Badros, MB, ChB, professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, director of the Multiple Myeloma Service, and vice chair of the Clinical Research Committee for the Program in Oncology, compares the AURIGA trial with other studies on maintenance therapy for patients with multiple myeloma.

Toby Maher, MD, PhD, professor of clinical medicine, Keck Medicine of USC, discusses the impact of changes in lung function in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

Saad Z. Usmani, MD, MBA, FACP, myeloma specialist and cellular therapist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, presented the results of the CEPHEUS trial and emphasized the positive impact daratumumab has on patients with multiple myeloma.

Linda Bosserman, MD, PhD, FASCO, FACP, of City of Hope, discusses the implementation of cutting-edge cancer treatments, emphasizing the need for effective information sharing and collaboration to improve cancer care access for diverse populations.

This interview accompanies the fourth podcast in our National Recovery Month series with Amy Herschell, PhD, associate vice president, Program Implementation and Evaluation, Community Care Behavioral Health Organization, part of the UPMC Insurance Services Division, and Jessica Meyers, MSEd, senior advisor for implementation, UPMC Center for High-Value Health Care.

Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP, assistant professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Washington, dissects the limited data on T-cell therapies for multiple myeloma, infectious complications, and access to specialized treatment centers.

Anant Madabhushi, PhD, executive director for the Emory Empathetic AI for Health Institute, proposes AI-based solutions to address health care disparities, emphasizing systemic racism and phenotypic variations.

Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP, assistant professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, at the University of Washington, determines the optimal use of minimal residual disease (MRD) in individual patient management, including decisions about continuing or stopping treatment.

Arash Mostaghimi, MD, MPA, MPH, director of the inpatient dermatology consult service at Brigham & Women's Hospital, discusses the utility of deuruxolitinib for treating moderate to severe alopecia areata (AA).

Benjamin Scirica, MD, MPH, director of quality initiatives at Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Cardiovascular Division, discussed the importance of team-based care and gaps in technology to manage patients at risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Andrew Leitner, MD, of City of Hope, discusses the challenges of integrating supportive care into cancer treatment and proposes solutions to improve access for patients from underserved communities.

Laurence Sperling, MD, executive director of the Million Hearts initiative at the CDC and CMS, shared insight into population health strategies to address cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention in at-risk populations.

Linda Bosserman, MD, PhD, FASCO, FACP, of City of Hope, emphasizes the need for a sustainable health care system that balances cost with care so patients can achieve the best survival and quality of life after a cancer diagnosis.

Strategies for integrated delivery networks (IDNs) to manage rising biologic medication costs while ensuring financial sustainability and patient outcomes are discussed during an interview with Elie M. Bahou, PharmD, MBA, senior vice president and system chief pharmacy officer at Providence.

Amy Peterson, MD, professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin, discussed current pediatric lipid screening guidelines and the potential evolution of pediatric lipid screening in the coming years.