The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is continuing to work advocating for solutions to the cancer drug shortage crisis. ASCO responded to a Request for Information from House Energy & Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo, and subsequently provided feedback on a discussion draft of potential legislation addressing drug shortages. The Association’s comments noted the meaningful progress toward addressing the root causes of drug shortages and offered specific feedback on proposals.
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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September 12, 2023
In letters to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Association for Clinical Oncology commented on provisions that impact cancer care for Medicare beneficiaries in the 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program proposed rule, as well as in the 2024 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System proposal.
September 12, 2023
After a fast-paced first half of the year, most state legislatures across the 50 states and Washington, D.C. have adjourned for the year. The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and State Affiliates successfully collaborated to advance many shared 2023 state advocacy priorities, including those highlighted here.
September 12, 2023
ASCO President Lynn M. Schuchter, MD, and CEO Clifford A. Hudis, MD participated in the President's Cancer Panel on September 7, 2023.
September 11, 2023
Now that Congress is back in session, the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is urging lawmakers to continue their bipartisan support for federal cancer research in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. This funding is vital for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI) and other agencies in their work to advance science.
August 15, 2023
On August 14, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved HEPZATO KIT (melphalan for Injection/Hepatic Delivery System) containing melphalan (HEPZATO, Delcath Systems, Inc.) as a liver-directed treatment for adult patients with uveal melanoma with unresectable hepatic metastases affecting less than 50% of the liver and no extrahepatic disease, or extrahepatic disease limited to the bone, lymph nodes, subcutaneous tissues, or lung that is amenable to resection or radiation.
August 14, 2023
On August 14, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to elranatamab-bcmm (Elrexfio, Pfizer, Inc.), a bispecific B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed CD3 T-cell engager, for adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least four prior lines of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory agent, and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody.
August 14, 2023
On August 11, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved the fixed dose combination of niraparib and abiraterone acetate (Akeega, Janssen Biotech, Inc.), with prednisone, for adult patients with deleterious or suspected deleterious BRCA-mutated castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), as determined by an FDA-approved test.
August 10, 2023
On August 9, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to talquetamab-tgvs (Talvey, Janssen Biotech, Inc.) adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least four prior lines of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory agent, and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody.
August 9, 2023
On August 9, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration granted regular approval to pralsetinib (Gavreto, Genentech, Inc.) for adult patients with metastatic rearranged during transfection (RET) fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as detected by an FDA-approved test.
August 2, 2023
On August 2, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved trifluridine and tipiracil (LONSURF, Taiho Oncology, Inc.) with bevacizumab, for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) previously treated with fluoropyrimidine-, oxaliplatin- and irinotecan-based chemotherapy, an anti-VEGF biological therapy, and if RAS wild-type, an anti-EGFR therapy. FDA had previously approved single-agent LONSURF for this indication in September 2015.
July 31, 2023
On July 31, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved dostarlimab-gxly (Jemperli, GlaxoSmithKline) with carboplatin and paclitaxel, followed by single-agent dostarlimab-gxly, for primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer (EC) that is mismatch repair deficient (dMMR), as determined by an FDA-approved test, or microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H).
July 7, 2023
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Labor and the Treasury Department issued a proposed rule regulating the availability of short-term limited duration insurance (STLDI) plans. The rule would restrict the availability of these plans to no more than four months.
July 5, 2023
ASCO is continuing to collaborate with State Affiliates and outside stakeholders to raise awareness and facilitate implementation of the CLINICAL TREATMENT Act, which requires all states and territories to cover and reimburse routine costs of care for treating a Medicaid enrollee who is participating in a qualifying clinical trial.
July 5, 2023
The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) continues to advocate for increased access to cancer care and improved health equity for Medicaid beneficiaries and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients. In three recent comment letters, ASCO applauded proposals to improve access to high-quality, equitable cancer care and made important recommendations regarding the agency’s plans to expand health care coverage to more people.
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