Pharma Pulse 7/17/25: Inside the GLP-1 Strategy Driving Competitive Edge in Obesity Clinical Research; Eisai Highlights Long-Term Efficacy of Lenvima in Advanced HCC Treatment

Inside the GLP-1 Strategy Driving Competitive Edge in Obesity Clinical Research

In an interview with Applied Clinical Trials, Shipra Patel, global therapeutic area section head for endocrinology and global head of pediatrics at Parexel, discussed how the company is using therapeutic expertise, real-world evidence, and a dedicated GLP-1 task force to navigate the competitive obesity drug development landscape, as GLP-1 therapies expand into complex new indications such as Alzheimer’s, addiction, and MASH.

Eisai Highlights Long-Term Efficacy of Lenvima in Advanced HCC Treatment\

In an interview with Pharmaceutical Executive, Corina Dutcus, senior vice president and oncology global clinical development lead at Eisai, highlighted nearly five-year follow-up data from the LEAP-002 trial, reinforcing lenvatinib’s long-term efficacy and safety in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, while also detailing promising early results for Eisai’s investigational WNT pathway inhibitor E7386 in endometrial cancer as part of the company’s broader commitment to advancing oncology care.

Flu Vaccines Are a Go

Troy Trygstad, vice president of Pharmacy and Provider Partnerships for Community Care of North Carolina, explained how the recent overhaul and first meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in June 2025 largely maintained conventional influenza vaccine recommendations while notably moving to phase out thimerosal in flu vaccines, highlighting growing attention to vaccine safety, the increasing role of single-dose syringes, and the rising importance of ACIP guidance for pharmacies and public health providers.

Q&A: Pharmacies Optimize Inventory Management Through Teamwork | McKesson ideaShare

In an interview with Drug Topics at McKesson ideaShare, Thomas Sherrer, PharmD, co-owner of Poole's Pharmacy, emphasized that effective pharmacy inventory management is a team-driven, technology-enhanced process that balances hands-on vigilance with advanced software and potential AI tools to improve operational efficiency, patient safety, and satisfaction through shared ownership and trusted wholesaler relationships.

AI Outperforms People in Scoring Melanoma Tumor-Infiltrating Immune Cells

New research led by Yale scientists demonstrates that AI-based scoring of melanoma tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes significantly outperforms traditional pathologist assessments by offering more consistent and reproducible results, highlighting AI’s potential to enhance clinical pathology workflows and improve melanoma diagnosis and treatment decisions.