Nearly 80% of nurses have witnessed or been victims of racism or discrimination from patients—and nearly 60% from colleagues—according to a May 2023 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report published in partnership with the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.

With an estimated duration of response rate of 90.6% at six months and 66.5% at nine months in the agent’s clinical trials, in October 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to teclistamab-cqyv (Tecvayli^®) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least four previous lines of therapy.  

Equal reimbursement for oral versus IV anticancer agents—also known as oral parity—has been a legislative priority for ONS since the first bill was introduced in the U.S. Congress eight years ago. Working through ONS’s broad coalitions, ONS members have championed patient access to oral anticancer therapies to the seven remaining states without a similar law on the books. Building on that work, on June 15, 2023, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) reintroduced the bipartisan Cancer Drug Parity Act to further support that goal.

Biomedical breakthroughs for cancer have enhanced research and discovery at record rates, giving patients extraordinary survivorship opportunities. It is a remarkable, unprecedented time. At the vanguard of understanding is the role of biomarkers and identifying each patient’s unique cancer signature through biomarker testing. Through the testing process, patients and providers can better determine an appropriate, individualized treatment path.

On June 20, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved talazoparib (Talzenna®) with enzalutamide for homologous recombination repair gene–variant metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Pausing endocrine therapy to give breast cancer survivors an opportunity to attempt pregnancy does not increase their short-term recurrence rates, researchers reported in study findings presented at the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Additionally, survivors’ conception rates are on par or higher than those among the general public.

A critical and often overlooked component of germline biomarker testing, cascade testing involves identifying biologic relatives at risk for inheriting a specific known family pathogenic variant after it’s first found in the family and extending the offer for germline biomarker testing to them.

On June 15, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to glofitamab-gxbm (Columvi™) for relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified, or large B-cell lymphoma arising from follicular lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy.

On June 14, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported that the Harvard Drug Group, LLC, conducting business as Major Pharmaceuticals and Rugby Laboratories, issued a voluntary recall of a single lot of dronabinol capsules, USP, 2.5 mg, and ziprasidone hydrochloride capsules, 20 mg, after receiving a report that some unit dose cartons labeled as ziprasidone hydrochloride capsules, 20 mg, contained blister packages labeled as and containing dronabinol capsules, USP, 2.5 mg.

The COVID-19 pandemic crushed supply chains and caused the global trading system to falter. Although many industries have rebounded, pharma is still experiencing its effects. Drug shortages directly limit healthcare providers’ ability to provide patient-centered oncology care.