December 2021, Vol 12, No 6

At the 11th Annual Summit of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care (AVBCC) in 2021, health plans and employers discussed the utility of value-based contracting for managing oncology care costs while maintaining focus on outcomes of value for patients.

Enhanced flexibility in delivery, increased investment in digital capability, and quick adaptation to events were some of the positive impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care.

Oncologic drug pricing is being transformed with greater value in mind. At the 11th Annual Summit of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care in 2021, a panel led by moderator William McGivney, PhD, Managing Principal, McGivney Global Advisors, Wayne, PA, discussed innovation in drug pricing, how the current rebate system supports higher drug costs, balancing new interventions with profits, and the implications of drug price negotiations being considered in Congress.

The use of telehealth in the fee-for-service program surged by more than 4000% during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reducing disparities in cancer care, including those affecting research and treatment, requires a better understanding of the history of racism, noted experts during a panel discussion at the 11th Annual Summit of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care in 2021. The panel, which was moderated by Sybil Green, JD, RPh, MHA, Diversity and Inclusion Officer, American Society of Clinical Oncology, examined barriers to equitable care and potential solutions to remove these barriers.

Currently, 31 biosimilar products have been approved by the FDA, 20 of which have been launched in the United States.

t the 11th Annual Summit of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care in 2021, a panel of experts, moderated by Michael Reff, RPh, MBA, Founder and Executive Director, National Community Oncology Dispensing Association (NCODA), Cazenovia, NY, discussed the current and future state of Medically Integrated Pharmacy (MIP) and the benefits of this approach in oncology.

On October 29, 2021, the FDA granted accelerated approval to asciminib (Scemblix; Novartis) for the treatment of patients with Philadelphia chromosome–positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in chronic phase, previously treated with ≥2 tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

On September 20, 2021, the FDA accelerated the approval of tisotumab vedotin-tftv (Tivdak; Seagen), a tissue factor–directed antibody and microtubule inhibitor conjugate, for the treatment of women with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer whose disease progressed during or after chemotherapy.

On October 15, 2021, the FDA approved a new indication for atezolizumab (Tecentriq; Genentech) for adjuvant treatment following resection and platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with stage II to IIIA non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors have PD-L1 expression on ≥1% of tumor cells, as determined by an FDA-approved test.