ASCO 2015 Highlights

Using its priority review process, the FDA approved a new indication for abiraterone acetate (Zytiga; Janssen Biotech) for the treatment of patients with metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) before chemotherapy.

The US Food and Drug Admin­istration (FDA) approved ponatinib (Iclusig; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals) under its accelerated program for the treatment of patients with chronic- phase (CP), accelerated-phase (AP), or blast-phase (BP) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) that is resistant to or intolerant to tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy or to Philadelphia chromosome–positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that is resistant to or intolerant to TKI therapy. The recommended dose is 45 mg, taken orally once daily, with no regard to food.

San Diego, CA—Adherence to several quality care standards markedly improved in practices participating in ASCO’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) over a 4-year period, according to a study presented at ASCO’s inaugural 2012 Quality Care Symposium.

Atlanta, GA—Targeting Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) resulted in high response rates, without severe toxicity, according to the results of 2 studies that were presented at the 2012 American Society of Hematology meeting.

San Antonio, TX—The national cost of screening mammography could vary by as much as $7 billion annually, depending on the screening strategy, according to a new study reported at the 2012 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

Atlanta, GA—The new oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) ponatinib (Iclusig) has significant activity and is well tolerated in patients with highly pretreated chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) or with Philadelphia chromosome–positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) who otherwise lack therapeutic options.

Vienna, Austria—Costs associated with first-line pemetrexed/cisplatin are significantly lower than those of carboplatin/paclitaxel/bevacizumab for the treatment of advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to an analysis presented at the 2012 European Society for Medical Oncology Congress.

Vienna, Austria—Adding bevacizumab (Avastin) to chemotherapy improves outcomes in patients with platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer, according to results of the phase 3 clinical trial AURELIA, which was presented at the 2012 European Society for Medical Oncology Congress.

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.