In the January issue of The Oncology Pharmacist (TOP), we feature the latest news and updates relevant to pharmacy professionals working in the field of oncology. We begin this issue with highlights from the ASH 2021 Annual Meeting and Exposition, where experts presented key data on novel drugs and combination regimens aimed at improving outcomes for patients diagnosed with cancer.
In a noteworthy session during this meeting, L. Elizabeth Budde, MD, PhD, presented encouraging results from a clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of the investigational agent, mosunetuzumab, in patients with relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma (see here). Dr Budde explained that because this drug is already premade, it may offer advantages over many CAR T-cell therapies.
“Some patients may not have time to wait for CAR T-cell production and, therefore, a mosunetuzumab treatment off-the-shelf, readily available, will be appealing if there are any larger issues,” she said.
We also provide readers with highlights from the 11th Annual Summit of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care in 2021, where stakeholders gathered to exchange their knowledge, insights, and real-world experience with the common goal of making cancer care more affordable and accessible to patients. In a session on the current and future state of Medically Integrated Pharmacy and the benefits of this approach in oncology, Stacey McCullough, PharmD, said that a new National Community Oncology Dispensing Association Center of Excellence accreditation shows promise (see here).
“It’s going to be collaborative with the practice and the quality and value that it brings. It’s going to be across the board to all stakeholders, making sure that each activity is focused on the outcome of the patient,” she said.
Other key sessions and roundtable discussions during this meeting addressed ongoing efforts to reform oncologic drug pricing (see here), strategies for future-proofing cancer care against pandemics (see here), and the utility of value-based contracting in oncology to improve patient care (see here).
This issue of TOP also includes data from recent clinical trials assessing the efficacy and tolerability of novel and established drugs being used to treat patients with various types of solid tumors, including colorectal, prostate, and lung cancer.
As always, we hope you will enjoy this issue of TOP, and we invite you to visit www.TheOncologyPharmacist.com to share your feedback about this issue with us or send comments to