Patients With Scarring Alopecia Value Expertise of Specialist Dermatologists
A new CAPAIR survey of 1,047 scarring alopecia patients shows that those who see hair‑specialist dermatologists (HSDs) report higher satisfaction and receive more aggressive therapy than patients seen by general dermatologists (GDs). HSDs were rated “excellent” for disease knowledge by 56 % of respondents versus 10 % for GDs, and 48 % praised their explanations compared with 12 % for GDs. Patients under HSD care averaged 2.36 prescribed medications, including more frequent topical minoxidil use, while GD patients averaged 1.95. The findings underscore the need for multidisciplinary, patient‑centered counseling in a condition lacking FDA‑approved treatments.
Weight Loss, Obesity Drugs Bring Potential New MASLD, MASH Treatment Strategies
A new review in *Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism* shows that GLP‑1, GIP and glucagon‑based drugs, originally approved for obesity and diabetes, also improve liver outcomes in metabolic dysfunction‑associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its progressive form MASH. A recent meta‑analysis...
Smarter Oncology Management Needed as Costs Continue to Climb
At the AMCP 2026 meeting, experts warned that oncology has become the largest cost driver for health plans, with cancer drugs accounting for 50‑60% of total cancer spend. They highlighted that expanding FDA approvals, longer treatment courses, and combination regimens...
Staging, ctDNA, and the Art of Personalizing Metastatic Breast Cancer Therapy: Hayley Knollman, MD
Hayley M. Knollman, MD, highlighted how estrogen‑receptor‑positive metastatic breast cancer still relies on conventional staging—blood work, imaging, and tissue biopsies—while emerging HER2‑low categories gain relevance only after disease spreads. She noted that circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and broad genomic panels are now...
FDA Signals Potential Expansion of Testosterone Therapy to Treat Low Libido in Idiopathic Hypogonadism
The FDA announced it will entertain supplemental new drug applications to add low libido in men with idiopathic hypogonadism as an approved indication for existing testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) products. The move follows a December 2025 expert panel review of...
Toward Equitable Access to Cell and Gene Therapies: Rethinking Co-Payments
Cell and gene therapies now command one‑time price tags exceeding $3 million, creating affordability challenges for the U.S. health‑care system. While patient cost sharing represents a tiny slice of total spending, deductibles and coinsurance can still impose thousands of dollars in...
Integrated Care Needed as Metabolic Disease Prevalence, Costs Climb, Experts Say
At the AMCP 2026 meeting, experts warned that metabolic disease now affects over 40% of U.S. adults and is driving rising health‑care costs. Claims data from a 22‑million‑member commercial population show metabolic conditions accounted for 13% of total spending in 2024,...
Precision Medicine Gaps Persist Amid Evidence and Access Challenges: Daryl Pritchard, PhD
At the AMCP 2026 meeting, senior vice‑president Daryl Pritchard highlighted persistent fragmentation, evidence gaps, and decision‑support shortfalls that curb precision‑medicine adoption. He stressed the need for robust clinical outcomes and cost‑effectiveness data to win payer and provider buy‑in. The panel...
Long-Acting HIV Therapies Improve Adherence and Access Options: Kelsea Aragon, PharmD
At the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy meeting, Dr. Kelsea Aragon highlighted long‑acting HIV injectables as a solution to adherence gaps that plague daily oral regimens. She cited lenacapavir, dosed every six months, and cabotegravir, administered every two months, as...
Community Response Teams: Extending the Rapid Response Model to Outpatient Care
Community response teams (CRTs) adapt hospital rapid‑response principles for managed‑care settings, using predictive analytics to identify members whose health is deteriorating before they become high‑cost patients. By integrating with existing care‑management infrastructure, CRTs deliver early, targeted interventions that reduce emergency...
Oncology Innovation Outpaces Managed Care’s Ability to Keep Up
Rapid advances in precision oncology are outpacing managed‑care systems, leaving gaps in biomarker testing, pharmacogenomics, CAR‑T access, and clinical pathway adherence. A study showed only 35.6% of eligible NSCLC patients receive targeted therapy, while DPYD testing—costing $175—could prevent $180,000‑plus in...
Dry Eye Treatment Gaps Persist, Whereas Comorbid DED Does Not Affect Glaucoma Adherence
Two AMCP 2026 posters revealed that only 12.4% of Medicare Advantage members newly diagnosed with dry eye disease (DED) received a prescription, with first‑line therapy delayed an average of 285 days and nearly half discontinuing without a second line. In...
Breaking Down Trump's Renewed Push on Price Transparency: John Barkett, MBA
John Barkett, managing director at BRG, outlines the Trump administration’s renewed push for health‑care price transparency. The latest proposals would tighten disclosure rules, limiting required price files to services relevant to each specialty and making data more consumer‑friendly. The rule...
Pharmacy's Rising Role in Cell and Gene Therapy: Zahra Mamoudjafari, PharmD, MBA
Cell and gene therapies (CGTs) are receiving approvals faster than health‑care institutions can operationalize them. Zahra Mahmoudjafari, a clinical pharmacy leader at the University of Kansas Health System, published a framework outlining eight interdependent domains needed for financially sustainable, patient‑accessible...
Reproxalap Safe for Use in Patients With Dry Eye Disease
A Phase 3 trial of 0.25 % reproxalap eye drops in 757 dry‑eye disease patients found no serious treatment‑related adverse events. Mild ocular irritation was the most common side effect, occurring more often in older women. Visual acuity showed modest improvement, especially...