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FDA Approves Crizotinib for ALK-Positive Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor

July 19, 2022

On July 14, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved crizotinib for adult and pediatric patients at least a year old, with unresectable, recurrent, or refractory inflammatory anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive myofibroblastic tumors.

For more information, read the FDA announcement .

Posted 7/19/2022


CMS Announces CY 2023 HOPPS Proposed Rule

July 18, 2022

On July 15, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Calendar Year (CY) 2023 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS) proposed rule, including proposals that align with several key goals of the Biden Administration like advancing health equity in rural areas, promoting competition in the healthcare system, and promoting safe, effective, patient-centered care.

For more information, read the proposed rule and the CMSfact sheet .

Posted 7/18/2022


CMS Stakeholder Call: Strategic Plan Update

July 14, 2022

Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and her leadership team will provide an update on the agency's recent accomplishments, including how its initiatives are advancing the CMS strategic plan. When : July 19, 2022 from 1:00-2:00 PM EDT. Who : National and local CMS stakeholders and partners. Register to attend and visit the CMS website for more information.

Posted 7/14/2022


CMS Announces CY 2023 PFS Proposed Rule

July 8, 2022

On July 7, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Calendar Year (CY) 2023 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed rule, which would significantly expand access to behavioral health services, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), cancer screening, and dental care—particularly in rural and underserved areas.

“Integrated coordinated, whole-person care—which addresses physical health, behavioral health, and social determinants of health—is crucial for people with Medicare, especially those with complex needs,” said Dr. Meena Seshamani, deputy administrator at CMS and director of the Center for Medicare. “If finalized, the proposals in this rule will advance equity, lead to better care, support healthier populations, and drive smarter spending of the Medicare dollar.

For more information, read the proposed rule as well as the CMS press release and fact sheet .

Posted 7/8/2022


CMS Announces the Enhancing Oncology Model

June 29, 2022

On June 27, 2022, the Biden Administration, through the Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), announced a new model to improve cancer care for Medicare patients: the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM). This model is the successor to the Oncology Care Model (OCM).

The EOM—designed by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation—will tackle the health inequities and meet patients' throughout the cancer care continuum, with an emphasis on person-centered care and better patient outcomes. The model will run from July 2023 through June 2028, and its participants will include oncology practices that treat people with Medicare undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, chronic leukemia, lung cancer, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, prostate cancer, and small intestine/colorectal cancer.

For additional information regarding the EOM, visit the CMS website . Then read ACCC's statement .

Posted 6/29/2022


FDA Approves Dabrafenib + Trametinib for Metastatic Solid Tumors

June 29, 2022

On June 22, 2022, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved dabrafenib and trametinib for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 6 years of age and older, with unresectable or metastatic solid tumors with BRAF V600E mutation, who have progressed following prior treatment and have no satisfactory alternative treatment options.

For more information, read the FDA announcement and the Novartis announcement .


FDA Approves Lisocabtagene Maraleucel for Refractory Large B-Cell Lymphoma

June 28, 2022

On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved lisocabtagene maraleucel, a CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, for the treatment of adult patients with large B-cell lymphoma, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified (DLBCL arising from indolent lymphoma), high-grade B-cell lymphoma, primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, and follicular lymphoma grade 3B, who have:

  • Refractory disease to first-line chemoimmunotherapy or relapse within 12 months of first-line chemoimmunotherapy
  • Refractory disease to first-line chemoimmunotherapy or relapse after first-line chemoimmunotherapy and are not eligible for hematopoietic stem cell transplant due to comorbidities or age.

For more information, read the FDA announcement and Bristol Myers Squibb's announcement .

Posted 6/28/2022


FDA Approves FoundationOne CDx for Entrectinib

June 9, 2022

On June 9, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the FoundationOne ® CDx as a companion diagnostic for two entrectinib indications:

  1. To identify patients with ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer
  2. To identify patients with neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase fusion-positive solid tumors.

Both indications are for patients who may be appropriate for treatment with entrectinib.

For more information, read Foundation Medicine's announcement and Roche's announcement .

Posted 6/9/2022


FDA Approves Pegfilgrastim-pbbk Biosimilar

May 31, 2022

On May 27, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Amneal's biologics license application for Fylnetra™ (pegfilgrastim-pbbk), a biosimilar referencing Neulasta ® (Agmen).

For more information, read Amneal's announcement .

Posted 5/31/2022


FDA Approves Two Nivolumab-Based Regimens for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

May 31, 2022

On May 27, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved both nivolumab in combination with fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-containing chemotherapy and nivolumab plus ipilimumab as a first-line treatment for adult patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma regardless of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) status.

For more information, read Bristol Myers Squibb's announcement .

Posted 5/31/2022


FDA Approves Tisagenlecleucel for R/R Follicular Lymphoma

May 31, 2022

On May 28, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to tisagenlecleucel for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) follicular lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy.

For more information, read Novartis' announcement .

Posted 5/31/2022


FDA Approves Ivosidenib in Combination for Acute Myeloid Leukemia

May 26, 2022

On May 25, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ivosidenib in combination with azacitidine for newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia with a susceptible IDH1 mutation, as detected by an FDA-approved test, in adults 75 years or older or who have comorbidities that preclude use of intensive induction chemotherapy.

Read the FDA announcement .

Read Servier's announcement .

Posted 5/26/2022


Eisai Provides Lenvatinib Dose Reductions at No Cost

May 12, 2022

On May 10, 2022, it was announced that the Eisai lenvatinib dose exchange program has been expanded to cover all indicated dose reductions for patients with endometrial cancer who require a new prescription. The program will allow dose exchanges for up to 15 days of a patient's current dose for one that is lower, once per quarter, and at no cost.

For more information, read the news article .

Posted 5/12/2022


FDA Approves Fam-Trastuzumab Deruxtecan-nxki for Breast Cancer

May 5, 2022

On May 4, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki for adult patients with unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who have received a prior anti-HER2-based regimen either in the metastatic setting, or in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting, and who have developed disease recurrence during or within six months of completing therapy.

Read the FDA announcement .

Read AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo's announcement .

Posted 5/5/2022


ASCO's Guideline Update Includes Oncotype DX in Early-Stage Breast Cancer

May 2, 2022

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has updated its 2022 guideline for biomarkers for adjuvant endocrine and chemotherapy in early-stage breast cancer to include the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score ® test. This test is recommended for use in postmenopausal patients with up to three positive axillary lymph nodes, irrespective of clinical risk.

For more information, read Exact Sciences' announcement and the ASCO guideline update .

Posted 5/2/2022


FDA Approves Bevacizumab-maly Biosimilar for Colorectal Cancer

April 18, 2022

On Monday, April 18, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Alymsys ® (bevacizumab-maly), a biosimilar to Avastin ® (bevacizumab). Alymsys' approved indications include:

  • Metastatic colorectal cancer in combination with intravenous fluorouracil-based chemotherapy for first- or second-line treatment
  • Metastatic colorectal cancer in combination with fluoropyrimidine-irinotecan- or fluoropyrimidineoxaliplatin-based chemotherapy for second-line treatment in patients who have progressed on a first-line bevacizumab product-containing regimen.

Read Brand Institute's announcement for more information.

Posted 4/18/2022


Secretary of HHS Extends COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

April 14, 2022

Effective April 16, 2022, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Xavier Becerra renewed the COVID-19 public health emergency that has existed nationwide since January 27, 2020.

For more information, visit the HSS website .

Posted 4/14/2022


FDA Approves Axicabtagene Ciloleucel for Large B-Cell Lymphoma

April 4, 2022

On Friday, April 1, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved axicabtagene ciloleucel for adult patients with large B-cell lymphoma that is refractory to first-line chemoimmunotherapy or relapses within 12 months of first-line chemoimmunotherapy.

Read the FDA announcement .

Read Gilead's announcement .

Posted 4/4/2022


FDA Approves Lutetium Lu 177 Vipivotide Tetraxetan for Prostate Cancer

March 24, 2022

On March 23, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan for the treatment of adult patients with prostate-specific membrane antigen-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have been treated with androgen receptor pathway inhibition and taxane-based chemotherapy.

Read the FDA announcement .

Read Novartis' announcement .

Posted 3/24/2022


FDA Approves Pembrolizumab for Advanced Endometrial Carcinoma

March 22, 2022

On March 21, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved pembrolizumab as a single agent for patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma that is microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair deficient, as determined by an FDA-approved test, who have disease progression following prior systemic therapy in any setting and who are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation.

Read the FDA announcement .

Read Merck's announcement .

Posted 3/22/2022


FDA approves nivolumab and relatlimab-rmbw for melanoma

March 21, 2022

On March 18, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved nivolumab and relatlimab-rmbw for adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age or older with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

Read the FDA announcement .

Read Bristol Myers Squibb's announcement .

Posted 3/21/2022


FDA Approves FoundationOne®CDx in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

March 17, 2022

On Thursday, March 17, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the FoundationOne ® CDx to be used as a companion diagnostic to identify patients with non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors have epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletions or exon 21 (L858R) alterations and are appropriate for treatment with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors that are approved by FDA for this indication.

Read Foundation Medicine's announcement .

Posted 3/17/2022


FDA Approves BRACAnalysis® CDx in Early-Stage Breast Cancer

March 14, 2022

On March 11, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Myriad Genetics, Inc.'s BRACAnalysis ® CDx test for use as a companion diagnostic to identify patients with germline BRCA-mutated (gRBCAm) human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, high-risk, early-stage breast cancer who may benefit from Lynparza ® (olaparib) (AstraZeneca).

Read the Myriad Genetics, Inc. announcement .

Posted 3/14/2022


FDA Approves Olaparib for High-Risk Early Breast Cancer

March 14, 2022

On Friday, March 11, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved olaparib for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients with deleterious or suspected deleterious germline BRCA-mutated (gBRCAm) human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, high-risk, early breast cancer who have been treated with neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy.

Read the FDA announcement .

Read AstraZeneca's announcement .

Posted 3/14/2022