Briana Contreras

Joe DePinto from McKesson discussed the challenges facing cell and gene therapies, particularly around reimbursement, and highlighted successful strategies to speed up access. He also shared optimism for the future, with many products already achieving blockbuster status and more expected by 2030.

Joe DePinto, MBA, head of cell, gene and advanced therapies at McKesson , met with MHE at the annual Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit in Las Vegas this week to give some insight on where we are with cell and gene therapies, as well as looking at Pfizer's discontinued hemophilia B gene therapy, Beqvez (fidanacogene elaparvovec-dzkt).

Shawn Griffin, M.D., president and CEO of URAC, shared his insights into best practices for promoting health equity during the annual Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit in Las Vegas today.

At this year’s Asembia conference in Las Vegas, Shawn Griffin, M.D., president and CEO of URAC, spoke about the need for strong leadership and community-based data in specialty pharmacies to identify and address health disparities, which will then improve care for all patients.

Managed Healthcare Executive asked several experts in healthcare and managed care to share the trends they think the industry is overlooking. From rising costs and data challenges to shifts in how care is delivered, these are the issues that could have a major impact — and deserve a closer look.

Experts at City of Hope, Simon Nazarian and Nasim Eftekhari, discussed the transformative potential of AI in cancer care.

Researchers of a new JAMA study said that without further participation in accountable care organizations, including the ACO REACH model, the program is unlikely to meet its goal of reducing health disparities.

In a recent conversation with Managed Healthcare Executive, Geoffrey Rutledge, M.D., of HealthTap, warned that the narrative around GLP-1 drugs is often oversimplified—and potentially harmful.

In 2024, top issues included daily work activities, work-life balance and conflict with managers. Now in 2025, those concerns have evolved into broader, more alarming themes: workplace stress, interpersonal conflict and performance issues.

In a recent discussion with Managed Healthcare Executive, three leading dermatologists and itch experts—Shawn Kwatra, M.D., Brian Kim, M.D., and Gil Yosipovitch, M.D.—shared where the science is going, what’s holding it back and how the healthcare system can better support patients.

Maureen Corcoran, director of the Ohio Department of Medicaid, believes the work requirement policy can be both a financial and moral effort to improve the lives of Medicaid consumers.

With policymakers considering work requirements for Medicaid eligibility, Jennifer Haley, principal research associate in the Health Policy Division at the Urban Institute, said it’s more important than ever to understand how those changes could unintentionally cause harm, particularly when data systems fall short and public awareness is limited.

The difference between specialty drugs and traditional drugs and how each have vied for market competition, according to Jeff Casberg, MS, RPh, senior vice president of clinical pharmacy services at IPD Analytics.

In this first part of a two-part video series, Jennifer Haley, principal research associate of the Health Policy Division at the Urban Institute, spoke with MHE about the impact the proposed Medicaid work requirements could have on millions and research that supports this belief.

A Q&A between Shawn Kwatra, M.D., professor and chair of dermatology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and Managed Healthcare Executive about new discoveries in chronic itch, how treatment options are improving and the challenges patients face in getting access to the right therapies.

The analysis from the Urban Institute breaks down projected coverage losses across the 40 Medicaid expansion states, where researchers based their estimates on previous work requirement rollouts in Arkansas and New Hampshire.

In a Q&A with Jeff Casberg, MS, RPh, senior vice president of clinical pharmacy services at IPD Analytics, Casberg explains the evolution of specialty drugs, the future of GLP-1 competition and what to expect from the traditional drug pipeline.

One particular application of AI on the rise at City of Hope is the development of a large language model (LLM) made specifically for oncology.

In this second part of a video series, Shawn Kwatra, M.D., professor and chair of dermatology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, described a common scenario where patients with severe atopic dermatitis must first try and fail multiple topical treatments, all while having widespread symptoms, before insurers will approve systemic therapies.

United Health Foundation, the charitable branch of UnitedHealth Group, awarded more than $7 million in grants to organizations in Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico and Wisconsin to improve maternal and infant healthcare, reduce disparities and strengthen the doula workforce in underserved communities.

At the 2025 AMCP annual meeting in Houston from March 31 to April 3, John M. O'Brien, Pharm.D., MPH, president and CEO of the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC), shared concerns and potential reforms in a conversation with Managed Healthcare Executive.

Doug Long, BA, MBA, vice president of Industry Relations at IQVIA, shares what's happening in the growing GLP-1 and biosimilars space. Long was a presenter at the annual AMCP 2025 meeting in Houston, where he discussed these topics and more earlier this week.

Experts across healthcare debunk 15 common myths about GLP-1 medications—covering everything from access and cost to lifestyle changes and long-term effectiveness—to help patients and providers separate hype from reality.

Maria Lowe, Ph.D., associate vice president of Pharmaceutical Intelligence at Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) addresses the possible gene therapies that we could see reach the market this year.

Maria Lowe, Pharm.D., BCPS, associate vice president of pharmaceutical intelligence at the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, described specialty drugs as high-cost treatments requiring complex handling or disease management and highlighted key upcoming approvals, including a new PCSK9 inhibitor for lipid lowering and tolebrutinib, a Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, which could become the first in its class approved for multiple sclerosis.

Julie Patterson, Pharm.D., Ph.D., of the National Pharmaceutical Council, tells Managed Healthcare Executive at the annual AMCP meeting in Houston that the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 is a policy that seems to be leading to more consequences than it is benefits.

At the AMCP 2025 meeting, Julie Patterson, Pharm.D., Ph.D., of the National Pharmaceutical Council, explained that the impact of the IRA drug negotiation program on patient access is still unclear, but early research shows that coverage for selected drugs has been strong. However, as Medicare Part D undergoes changes, there are concerns about how plan incentives, formulary design and utilization management might affect future access.

At the AMCP 2025 annual meeting, Sean Shirk, Pharm.D., stressed the need for payers to stay informed and engaged with legislation to sustain site-of-service efforts despite growing restrictions.