Enbrel (Etanercept), Immunex/Wyeth-Ayerst

AD and psoriasis were once thought to be opposites in terms of immune response, with AD linked to a Th2-dominant pathway and psoriasis driven by Th17 inflammation. However, newer research has shown that these diseases can overlap in patients and may even share common pathways.

In this week's episode of Tuning Into The C-Suite podcast, MHE's Briana Contreras chatted with David Calabrese, R.Ph, MHP, who is senior vice president and chief pharmacy officer of pharmacy care services company, OptumRx. David is also a member of Managed Healthcare Executives’ Editorial Advisory Board. During the discussion, he shared the OptumRx Quarter 2 Drug Pipeline Insights Report of 2020. Some of the information shared includes the three notable drugs currently being reviewed or those that have been recently approved by the FDA. Also discussed were any interesting industry trends to watch for.

Orsini will be the specialty pharmacy partner for Ekterly.

According to Regeneron, the drug is a bispecific antibody that binds to B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) on cancerous plasma cells and CD3 on T cells, directing the immune system to attack and destroy multiple myeloma cells.

Climate change and air pollution are growing threats to public health, and new research suggests they may also worsen atopic dermatitis (AD), the most common chronic inflammatory skin condition, affecting up to 15% of people worldwide.

Optum Rx officials said they now have eliminated reauthorization requirements for more than 140 chronic disease medications.