OBR daily eNewsOBR greenOBR IntelOBR FinancePipeline Online™OBR RadarEventsBlogAdvertise

Today's Featured Oncology Headlines Subscribe»

Pfizer Lung Drug Stops Deadly Child Cancers in Study

(Bloomberg) May 16, 2012 - Pfizer Inc.’s Xalkori, a drug that targets lung cancer caused by a gene defect, wiped out all signs of malignancy in some children with different tumor types, in a study that proves aiming treatment at genes rather than disease sites may be more effective.
read article »

Glaxo’s Melanoma Cocktail Slows Cancer in Study

(Bloomberg) May 17, 2012 - GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s combination of two experimental melanoma medicines slowed the progress of cancer with few skin complications in an early study, suggesting the combo may not have as many side effects as existing single-drug treatments.
read article »

Trial Supports Earlier Use of a Prostate Cancer Drug

(New York Times) May 17, 2012 - In a small clinical trial, six months of treatment with Johnson & Johnson’s Zytiga, added to standard therapy, eliminated or nearly eliminated tumors in about one-third of men whose disease had not yet spread beyond the prostate gland but was considered likely to do so.
read article »

 

View ALL News »

		Our free daily oncology focused e-news service. Subscribe»  |  Search Archives»

---

Oncology Business Review May 2012 Issue

OBR green is our industry trade journal with carefully developed, exclusive oncology industry content.

More Content, More Timely, Less Trees.
Register for OBR green today.

To view previous issues of OBR green content you can visit our archives. The entire library of OBR green articles is searchable.

Table of Contents

The Rise of Companion Diagnostics: A Step Towards Truly Personalized Medicine

Companion diagnostics are certainly being recognized as a “must have” for any new targeted drugs entering today’s oncology marketplace. This platform has been reinforced by the recent FDA approvals of Xalkori and Zelboraf. But what are the considerations needed for developing a companion diagnostic; and where is this feature of developing companion diagnostics for new targeted therapies heading? Endocyte provides some valuable insight into what is needed for consideration and who is partnering with whom.

Kantar Health’s Top Picks: What’s Hot at ASCO 2012

With ASCO less than a month away, Kantar Health reviews some of the pivotal clinical trials that will be presented and those that have the potential to significantly alter the treatment paradigm in several tumor types. A brief synopsis of nine of those trials and an evaluation of the data expectations are discussed.

Peter B. Bach, MD, and the Case for Interchangeability in Oncology: A New Model for an Episode-based Payment System

The first article features Peter B. Bach, MD, who discusses how “interchangeability” of drug regimens in non-small cell lung cancer may help build a new model for episode-based payments that could be applied at the federal level. Dr. Bach demonstrates how practices could save on returns by using interchangeable regimens that cost less and as a result may force manufacturers to reduce their prices.

Achieving Accountable Cancer Care

Following up on Dr. Bach’s proposal, we have Michael Blau, Esq., Chair of Cancer Center Business Summit exploring the many trails practices will have to blaze through in order to keep up with healthcare reform and what that reform will entail to incorporate best practices in community oncology.

On-Conversation with Michael N. Neuss, MD, Chief Medical Officer of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

Rounding out the section, we include a dialogue we conducted with Michael N. Neuss, MD, CMO of Vanderbilt. He tells us what it’s like to go from working in private practice for 25 years to heading a team at a leading academic cancer center.

Diagnostic Testing and Clinical Pathways Move into the PA Neighborhood

Prior authorizations are seen mostly as a cost management payer tool, but from the oncology practice perspective PAs are nothing more than a time consuming futile tool. As more practices implement diagnostic testing and clinical pathways, Lee Goldberg of The Zitter Group discusses how payers are using the PA process to infiltrate these areas to manage oncology care costs.

Spotlight on Cost of Cancer Care: Panitumumab

The cost of cancer care is driven by several factors, one of which is the volume of generic drugs being prescribed. IntrinsiQ, LLC examines Panitumumab use in several cancer types to understand trends in cost of cancer care.

View the May 2012 issue of OBR green »