Pharma Pulse 7/1/25: Oncology Care Index Spurs J&J to Address Fragmentation in Cancer Treatment; How Funding Cuts Are Undermining Patient Recruitment in Clinical Trials

Oncology Care Index Spurs J&J to Address Fragmentation in Cancer Treatment

In an interview with Pharmaceutical Executive, Biljana Naumovic, US President, oncology, solid tumor, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, shared how insights from the company’s Oncology Care Index are shaping efforts to reduce fragmentation in cancer care by expanding community-based clinical research, improving care continuity, and supporting oncologists through training, policy advocacy, and responsible AI integration.

How Funding Cuts Are Undermining Patient Recruitment in Clinical Trials

In an interview with Applied Clinical Trials, Trially CEO Kyle McAllister warned that funding cuts are undermining patient recruitment and retention—particularly in underrepresented populations—by eliminating vital support staff, and emphasized the need for AI and telemedicine to help research sites maintain efficiency and improve enrollment despite shrinking resources.

ASCO 2025: Using Discrete Choice Data to Support Personalized Pharmacy Counseling in ALK+ NSCLC

At ASCO 2025, Christopher Danes, PhD, presented findings from a discrete choice experiment showing that patients with ALK-positive NSCLC and their caregivers prioritize progression-free survival but are willing to trade some of it to reduce certain adverse events—insights that can help pharmacists tailor counseling, support adherence, and facilitate shared decision-making aligned with individual preferences.

Q&A: Retail, Independent Pharmacies Continue to Call for Improved Reimbursement Practices

In a recent interview with Drug Topics, Rick Gates , chief pharmacy officer, Walgreens, emphasized that unsustainable reimbursement practices—particularly from PBMs—are driving independent and retail pharmacy closures, and called for urgent reforms to ensure fair dispensing fees, patient choice, and reimbursement for clinical services beyond medication dispensing.

Sage Lays off Entire Staff of 338 Amid Takeover by Supernus

Following its proposed acquisition by Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Sage Therapeutics is laying off all 338 employees—just weeks after the deal was announced—signaling that Supernus primarily sought to acquire Sage’s assets, including its Biogen-partnered postpartum depression drug Zurzuvae.