Interviews

Mark A. Socinski, MD, executive director of AdventHealth Cancer Institute, gave insight into treatment resistance and the importance of repeat biomarker testing at the time of disease progression in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Sebastian Pistritto, chief marketing officer at ParcelShield Holdings, LLC, talks about how technology such as artificial intelligence helps to evaluate data to assist in medication delivery service decision-making, depending on the need of the pharmacy and its patients.

Neal Dave, PharmD, executive director of pharmacy operations at Texas Oncology, discusses updates to the National Community Oncology Dispensing Association (NCODA) Center of Excellence pharmacy accreditation program.

David Spencer, MD, director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and professor of neurology at Oregon Health and Science University, discusses the importance of patient safety in a first-in-human trial of NRTX-1001 GABAergic interneuron cell therapy for focal epilepsy.

Stephen M. Schleicher, MD, MBA, Tennessee Oncology, co-authored a recent paper on the complexities of the rural cancer experience; the principal conclusion was potential for a streamlined care process to optimize care efficiencies and access, thereby improving patient outcomes.

Naveen Mansukhani, director of operations and account management of Retail Pharmacy Services at Cardinal Health, talks about how the responsibility for saving costs does not just fall on one department or person, but is collaborative and requires strategy.

Connie Sullivan, president and CEO of the National Home Infusion Association (NHIA), discusses why at-home infusion is beneficial to patients and why so many patients reported feeling satisfied with home administration.

Oncology has been an easy area for employers to adopt biosimilars because of the rising costs in the space, said Margaret Rehayem, vice president, National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions. Now that multiple adalimumab (Humira) biosimilars are hitting the US market, employers should take a step back to review their current strategy around the drug.

David Spencer, MD, director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and professor of neurology at Oregon Health and Science University, talks about the first-in-human trial of interneuron cell therapy for treatment of focal epilepsy and explains the next steps.

Technology and automation within patient assistance programs can enhance the patient journey and assist pharmaceutical manufacturers at a lower cost, explained Josh Marsh, vice president of Sonexus at Cardinal Health.

Andy Blauvelt, MD, MBA, president of Oregon Medical Research Center, discusses the use of systemic therapies vs biologics and why adherence is so important when treating patients with atopic dermatitis (AD).

Larry Eichenfield, MD, professor of dermatology and pediatrics and vice chair of the Department of Dermatology at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and chief of pediatric and adolescent dermatology at Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, discusses the use of different treatments and biologics for atopic dermatitis (AD) in infants, which he presented at the Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis conference.

Melinda Gooderham, MSc, MD, FRCPC, dermatologist and clinical researcher at Peterborough Regional Health Centre, discusses emerging topical and biologic therapies expected to be available later this year.

Robert Sidbury, MD, MPH, professor of pediatrics at Seattle Children's Hospital, discusses treatment approaches for atopic dermatitis of the face in infancy, which he presented at the Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis conference.

A. Mark Fendrick, MD, co–editor in chief of The American Journal of Managed Care® and director of the V-BID Center at the University of Michigan, discusses how the Braidwood ruling can affect the efficacy of preventive care.

The DRCR Retina Network is undertaking research to develop preventive strategies for diabetic eye disease, explained Jennifer K. Sun, MD, MPH, associate professor of ophthalmology and chief of the Center for Clinical Eye Research and Trials, Harvard Medical School; and chair, DRCR Retina Network.

It is likely that social determinants of health (SDOH) may affect the differences in outcomes from multiple sclerosis (MS) that we see among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latinx populations, absent more data on their genetics and ancestry, noted Mitzi Joi Williams, MD, FAAN.

Challenges around data are mostly around data itself, particularly if it is not timely, says Lee A. Norman, MD, MHS, MBA, the senior medical director for Optum Care Kansas City.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Bruce W. Sherman, MD, of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, about a recent study on wage-level disparities affecting the utilization of mental health resources, for which he was lead investigator; the study article appears in the April issue of The American Journal of Managed Care®.

Rebates remain very attractive for many employers, but they should push back on the reliance on rebates that may be preventing biosimilars from being added to formularies, said Margaret Rehayem, vice president, National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions.

Milena Pavlova, MD, neurologist, and medical director of the sleep testing center at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner hospital, talks about the importance of treating underlying sleep disorders in patients with seizures, especially within a value-based care (VBC) model.

Jonathan Silverberg, MD, PhD, MPH, professor of dermatology and director of clinical research and patch testing at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and chair of the Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis (RAD) conference, discusses some of the symposia and events at this year's conference that he is looking forward to the most.

David Spencer, MD, director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and professor of neurology at Oregon Health and Science University, talks about how an emerging epilepsy treatment could transform the current level of care for patients with the condition.

Much more work needs to be done surrounding multiple sclerosis (MS) and treating pregnant patients safely, noted Mitzi Joi Williams, MD, FAAN, medical director and CEO, Joi Life Wellness Neurology Clinic.

Milena Pavlova, MD, neurologist and medical director of the sleep testing center at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, discusses the profound effect obstructive sleep apnea has on epilepsy as well as cognition.

At Asembia 2023, there will be a call to action for participants to adjust their current business models and advocate for access to biosimilars with lower list costs, explained Julie Reed, executive director of the Biosimilars Forum.

Shruti Agnihotri, MD, associate professor at the University of Alabama Birmingham, discusses how value-based care can help patients who experience neurologic chronic disease states after COVID-19, in addition to patients with conditions like stroke and dementia.

Nicole Rosendale, MD, assistant professor of neurology at the University of California San Francisco, neurologist/neurohospitalist, talks about how data on the LGBTQ+ community in the neurology space is needed in order to provide effective value-based health care.