ASCO in Action

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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Showing results for Cancer Drugs, 2023

December 19, 2023

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published revised guidance on the Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program. That program was established under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which requires drug companies to pay a rebate to Medicare if they raise their prices for certain drugs faster than the rate of inflation. The revised guidance lays out specific parameters for how CMS may adjust rebates for drugs in shortage, or at risk of going into shortage.

December 14, 2023

On December 14, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved belzutifan (Welireg, Merck & Co., Inc.) for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) following a programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) or programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor and a vascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (VEGF-TKI).

December 13, 2023

On December 13, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved eflornithine (IWILFIN, USWM, LLC) to reduce the risk of relapse in adult and pediatric patients with high-risk neuroblastoma (HRNB) who have demonstrated at least a partial response to prior multiagent, multimodality therapy including anti-GD2 immunotherapy.

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 4, 2023

On December 1, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to pirtobrutinib (Jaypirca, Eli Lilly and Company) for adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) who have received at least two prior lines of therapy, including a BTK inhibitor and a BCL-2 inhibitor.

November 27, 2023

On November 27, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved nirogacestat (OGSIVEO, SpringWorks Therapeutics, Inc.) for adult patients with progressing desmoid tumors who require systemic treatment. This is the first approved treatment for desmoid tumors.

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 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

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 1, 2023

On October 31, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda, Merck) to be used with gemcitabine and cisplatin for locally advanced unresectable or metastatic biliary tract cancer (BTC).

October 30, 2023

On October 27, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved toripalimab-tpzi (LOQTORZ, Coherus BioSciences, Inc.) with cisplatin and gemcitabine for the first-line treatment of adults with metastatic or recurrent, locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). FDA also approved toripalimab-tpzi as a single agent for adults with recurrent unresectable or metastatic NPC with disease progression on or after a platinum-containing chemotherapy.

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