AVBCC Annual Conference

Hollywood, FL—For the first time, the Annual Conference of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care (AVBCC) was addressed by a member of Congress.

Hollywood, FL—Stakeholders from across the field of oncology gathered at the Third Annual Conference of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care (AVBCC) to network and to explore ways to adapt to a rapidly changing landscape.

Houston, TX—Most employers do not understand biologics and specialty pharmacy well enough to use services appropriately and to take advantage of their benefits, said F. Randy Vogenberg, RPh, PhD, Principal, Institute for Integrated Healthcare, Sharon, MA, an employer benefit consulting company.

Houston, TX—Employers’ health plan managers must “balance members’ access to new treatments with the fiscal responsibility of managing the healthcare financial resources wisely,” said Bridget Eber, PharmD, Senior Consultant and Clinical Lead of Rx Group Purchasing, Towers Watson, at the 2012 Second Annual Association for Value-Based Cancer Care Conference.

Houston, TX—Delta Air Lines has a commitment to preventive health and comprehensive cancer care for its 140,000 health plan members; the company is piloting a “high-performance cancer network,” said Lynn Zonakis, Managing Director of Health Strategy and Resources, Delta Air Lines, Atlanta, GA, at the 2012 Second Annual Conference of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care.

Houston, TX—With the onslaught of drugs that will target genetic subsets of patients, companion diagnostic testing will become vitally important, said Jane F. Barlow, MD, MPH, MBA, Vice President of Clinical Innovation, Medco Health Solutions (now Express Scripts), New York, who spoke on personalized medicine during the 2012 Annual Conference of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care.

Houston, TX—A wealth of new agents and abundant clinical trial data supporting their use have led to multiple “acceptable” evidence-based options for treating tumors.

Houston, TX—To eliminate coverage inconsistencies and enhance relationships with providers, health plans should have specific policies for dealing with off-label use of oncologic drugs, said Kristen M. Reimers, RPh, Specialty Pharmacy Director and Clinical Operations Manager for Excellus Health Plans.

Houston, TX—Despite much talk about biomarkers and a field that is exploding, only a few biomarkers can be reliably and routinely used to improve patient care at this time, according to Peter G. Ellis, MD, Deputy Director of Clinical Services, Associate Chief Medical Officer, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Cancer Centers.

Houston, TX—“The key question on everyone’s mind is, how do we monetize the value of pathways?” said Peter G. Ellis, MD, Deputy Director of Clinical Services and Associate Chief Medical Officer, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Centers, PA, at the Second Annual Conference of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care.