Pharma Pulse 6/9/25: Accelerating Site Activation and Recruitment with MCRC Partnerships; Avenzo Begins Phase I/II Trial of CDK4 Selective Inhibitor for Breast Cancer

Accelerating Site Activation and Recruitment with MCRC Partnerships

In an interview with Applied Clinical Trials, Jim Kremidas, executive director of the Association for MultiSite Research Corporations, discussed how partnering with multisite clinical research corporations can significantly accelerate site activation and patient recruitment by streamlining contracts and operations, while also expressing concern over the Trump Administration’s “Most Favored Nation” drug pricing policy and its potential impact on clinical innovation.

Avenzo Begins Phase I/II Trial of CDK4 Selective Inhibitor for Breast Cancer

Avenzo Therapeutics has launched a Phase I/II trial of its selective CDK4 inhibitor AVZO-023 for HR+/HER2- breast cancer and other solid tumors, evaluating it alone and in combination with its CDK2 inhibitor AVZO-021 as part of the company’s broader push to develop targeted oncology therapies.

Op-Ed: Prescribing Cascade Is Avoidable—If We Empower Pharmacists to Intervene

An op-ed argues that the harmful and costly prescribing cascade in US healthcare is largely preventable if pharmacists are empowered to work at the top of their license within interdisciplinary care teams, where they can guide medication management, deprescribing, and patient engagement—especially in value-based, community-centered care models.

Passport to Protection: Best Practices for Travel Vaccines in the Pharmacy Setting

With summer travel underway, pharmacy teams can play a key role in protecting patients by offering comprehensive travel vaccine consultations, using trusted resources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and developing collaborative agreements when needed to ensure patients are appropriately vaccinated for both domestic and international destinations.

Otsuka's Kidney Disease Drug Halves UPCR Levels in Phase III Study

Otsuka's monoclonal antibody sibeprenlimab halved urine protein-to-creatinine ratio levels in a Phase III trial for IgA nephropathy, outperforming current treatments and showing a favorable safety profile as the company awaits FDA approval later this year.