According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the optimal time to immunize patients against the fall/winter respiratory viruses this holiday season is now, but vaccination rates are lagging behind prior years in some populations. To address this issue, CDC developed resources to help providers talk to patients about the importance of recommended vaccinations.
ASCO in Action provides the latest news and analysis related to critical policy issues affecting the cancer community, updates on the Association for Clinical Oncology’s ongoing advocacy efforts, and opportunities for members and others in the cancer care community to take action.
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December 8, 2023
December 5, 2023
Over the next few months, we'll be sharing summaries of state action on the Association for Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) key advocacy priorities. This article examines recent action on white bagging.
December 5, 2023
Generic drug shortages are a crisis for cancer care in the United States. Currently, 15 cancer related drugs are in short supply. To help address this emergency, the Association for Clinical Oncology is amplifying its calls for Congress to take urgent action to end drug shortages with a new advertising and advocacy campaign.
December 5, 2023
The Association for Clinical Oncology is supportive of the Food and Drug Administration’s efforts to regulate laboratory developed tests as medical devices to address the imbalance in oversight of in vitro diagnostics and protect patient safety.
November 21, 2023
This article examines recent efforts to regulate pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). Since 2017, states have enacted more than 150 laws to regulate PBMs. These laws regulate the way PBMs interact with different entities, including pharmacies, health plans, state governments, and patients.
November 17, 2023
On November 16, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved enzalutamide (Xtandi, Astellas Pharma US, Inc.) for non-metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (nmCSPC) with biochemical recurrence at high risk for metastasis (high-risk BCR).
November 17, 2023
President Biden announced Nov. 17 the appointment of W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, Chair of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Physician-in-Chief for Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital and Clinics, as his choice for director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
November 16, 2023
Delegates from the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) gathered in Washington to participate in the 2023 Interim Meeting of the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates (HOD) from Nov. 10-14.
November 16, 2023
On November 16, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda, Merck) with fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-containing chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of adults with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic HER2-negative gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma.
November 16, 2023
On November 16, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved capivasertib (Truqap, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals) with fulvestrant for adult patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer with one or more PIK3CA/AKT1/PTEN-alterations, as detected by an FDA-approved test, following progression on at least one endocrine-based regimen in the metastatic setting or recurrence on or within 12 months of completing adjuvant therapy.
November 16, 2023
Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) on November 15, 2023, that extends FY 2023 federal funding levels until February 2, 2024, for all Department of Health and Human Services agencies.
November 16, 2023
On November 15, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved repotrectinib (Augtyro, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company) for locally advanced or metastatic ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
November 9, 2023
On November 7, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration revised the existing indication of pembrolizumab (Keytruda, Merck) with trastuzumab, fluoropyrimidine, and platinum-containing chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma. This updated indication, which remains approved under accelerated approval regulations, restricts its use to patients whose tumors express PD-L1 (CPS ≥ 1) as determined by an FDA-approved test.
November 9, 2023
On November 8, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved fruquintinib (Fruzaqla, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) for adult patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) who received prior fluoropyrimidine-, oxaliplatin-, and irinotecan-based chemotherapy, an anti-VEGF therapy, and, if RAS wild-type and medically appropriate, an anti-EGFR therapy.
November 7, 2023
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a proposed rule that would update Medicare Advantage, the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, the Medicare Cost Plan program, Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, and the Health Information Technology Standards and Implementation Specifications in 2025. The proposal aims to strengthen beneficiary protections from misleading marketing, promote equity in coverage, improve prior authorization, promote access to behavioral health care providers, and improve supplemental benefits. Important provisions for the cancer care community are listed.
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