The OncLive® News page includes the latest in clinical oncology news, including breaking regulatory decisions, clinical trial findings, pivotal and practice-changing data published in academic peer-reviewed journals, and more across solid and hematologic malignancies. Regulatory news includes new drug approvals by the FDA and European Union, priority review and breakthrough therapy designations, and orphan drug and fast track statuses.
CMS Shuts Down Pharma Payment Verification System
August 8th 2014The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) took down its Web site that verifies payments from pharmaceutical companies to physicians, after at least 1 doctor had payments attributed to him that were actually made to someone else.
California Bundled Payment System Fails to Take Hold
August 5th 2014A regional bundled payment system has hit a roadblock in California, according to a study in Health Affairs. The program failed to meet its goals, succumbed to recruitment challenges, faced regulatory uncertainty, and sputtered under administrative burdens.
Carfilzomib Combination Effective for Relapsed Myeloma
August 4th 2014The combination of carfilzomib (Kyprolis), lenalidomide (Revlimid), and low-dose dexamethasone extended progression-free survival (PFS) by 8.7 months compared with lenalidomide and dexamethasone alone for patients with relapsed multiple myeloma
CMS, MedPAC Propose Site-Neutral Payment Systems
July 31st 2014A new health policy brief issued by Health Affairs and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation explains the origin of these differential payments and the debate over approaches that have been proposed for developing so called "site neutral" payments.
More Front-End Billing Staff Trained in Financial Counseling
July 29th 2014Having financial counselors on staff is becoming a new reality for oncology practices as patients are responsible for out-of-pocket costs and more are participating in health insurance exchanges, says an article in Healthcare Finance News.
Promising Findings for Afatinib-Cetuximab Combo in Previously Treated EGFR-Mutant Lung Cancer
July 29th 2014Results of an early-phase study have shown the combination of afatinib (Gilotrif) and cetuximab (Erbitux) has utility in EGFR-mutant lung cancer patients who have developed resistance to gefitinib (Tarceva) and erlotinib (Iressa).
Percentage of Physicians Using EHRs for Electronic Prescribing Rises from 7% to 70% in 6 Year Period
July 23rd 2014It looks like e-prescribing through the use of electronic health records (EHRs) is here to stay according to findings from the July 2014 "ONC Data Brief," issued by The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
Extended Adjuvant Neratinib Improves DFS in Phase III Breast Cancer Study
July 23rd 2014Extended adjuvant treatment with neratinib (PB272, HKI-272) significantly extended improved disease-free survival (DFS) compared with placebo for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer who received prior adjuvant trastuzumab
Immunotherapy Combination Receives Breakthrough Designation for Pancreatic Cancer
July 21st 2014The combination of the immunotherapy CRS-207 and the vaccine GVAX Pancreas has received a breakthrough therapy designation from the FDA for its potential as a treatment for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.
Trastuzumab-Associated Cardiac Events Reversible, Outweighed by Benefits
July 14th 2014Cardiac events associated with trastuzumab are mostly reversible and outweighed by significant extensions in OS and PFS for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, according to analyses from several clinical trials exploring the drug.