Alana Hippensteele, Lead Editor

A novel orally bioavailable RIPTAC therapeutic targeting the p53-Y220C mutation demonstrates selective cancer cell killing by inducing proximity between mutant p53 and an essential protein, offering a promising new strategy for treating historically untreatable tumors.

Rising costs of these therapies challenge affordability and access.

The phase 2 ROME trial demonstrated that combining tissue and liquid biopsies to guide tailored therapy in advanced solid tumors significantly improves survival outcomes compared to standard of care or single-biopsy approaches, highlighting the value of dual profiling in precision oncology.

A phase 2 trial showed that using ctDNA to guide adjuvant pembrolizumab therapy after surgery effectively cleared minimal residual disease and reduced recurrence in patients with resected mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) solid tumors.

Ochsner Children’s Hospital, in partnership with ISMP, has launched a fellowship to advance pediatric medication safety through hands-on training in key competencies, national safety strategies, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovative tools such as AI and data dashboards.

Certain antibiotics may have a more significant impact on CAR T-cell efficacy and toxicity.

AI may help to accurately classify pediatric sarcoma subtypes using digitized pathology images, potentially improving diagnosis and treatment accessibility across diverse health care settings.

Interim results from the phase 1 SENTI-202-101 trial show that SENTI-202, a logic-gated, off-the-shelf chimeric antigen receptor natural killer (CAR NK) cell therapy, achieved complete remission in 4 patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Pretrained foundation machine learning models significantly improved the accuracy of diagnosing non-melanoma skin cancer from digital pathology images and may offer a practical, resource-efficient solution for cancer diagnosis in underserved settings.

Zoldonrasib, a novel oral KRAS G12D-selective inhibitor, demonstrated promising safety and early antitumor activity in patients with previously treated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), offering a potential new targeted therapy for this underserved population.

NCCN updates colon cancer guidelines, emphasizing testing for DPYD gene variants before initiating fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy.

Ginger Blackmon, PharmD, explains how NCODA’s Positive Quality Interventions (PQIs) help improve oncology care by guiding best practices, supporting teamwork, and streamlining workflows.

The Version 3.2025 update adds tislelizumab-based regimens as preferred first-line treatments and introduces new dosing schedules for PD-L1–positive esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Scott A. Soefje, PharmD, MBA, BCOP, explained how the expanding use of the FDA’s 505(b)(2) drug approval pathway is creating operational and reimbursement challenges for oncology infusion centers.

Christine Barrett, PharmD, BCOP, addressed advances in the treatment of stage III melanoma that provide the potential to improve long-term outcomes by enhancing immune response, tailoring surgical approaches, and refining patient selection strategies.

Mark Zangardi, PharmD, MS, BCOP, and Amber Cipriani, PharmD, BCOP, discuss the growing role of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing in oncology, highlighting its applications in early cancer detection, molecular residual disease assessment, and treatment monitoring.

Matthew Lei, PharmD, BCOP, highlights the value of community, collaboration, and innovation at the HOPA Annual Conference.

Sophie Jabban discusses research presented at the SGO Annual Meeting highlighting significant disparities in MRI access for patients with cervical cancer receiving chemoradiation, with delays linked to both race and insurance status, underscoring systemic barriers that may impact timely treatment.

Sophie Jabban discusses findings from 2 studies that highlight how geographic location, race, ethnicity, and social determinants of health contribute to delays in initiating chemoradiation for patients with cervical cancer.

Mark Mulvahill, MBA, MSc, discusses the importance of microbial preservation and reference materials in pharmaceutical manufacturing and compounding pharmacies, highlighting their role in contamination control, regulatory compliance, and enhancing microbiological testing reliability.

Jeff A. Goad, PharmD, MPH, discusses the latest RSV vaccination guidelines and recommendations for 2025, highlighting vaccine options, target populations, timing considerations, evolving CDC policies, and the role of pharmacists in immunization efforts.

In a debate at the 2025 APhA Annual Meeting, speakers highlighted GLP-1s’ advantages in stroke prevention and weight loss vs SGLT2s’ superiority in heart failure, CV death reduction, and renal protection.

Two pharmacists at the 2025 APhA Annual Meeting debate the role of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for non-insulin users, highlighting evolving guidelines, emerging clinical evidence, cost and coverage challenges, and the need for further research to justify widespread adoption.

Contraceptive options have expanded since 1960, with pharmacists today playing a growing role as prescribers of contraception and studies showing the benefit of pharmacist-driven contraception clinics.

Sharita Howe, PharmD, discusses her recent acknowledgement by MM+M, who acknowledged her as a part of the next wave of health care leaders in their recognition of 40 under 40 leaders in health care.

David S. Bateshansky, PharmD, BCOP, discusses his role as an oncology pharmacist at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, noting the evolving recognition of pharmacists' contributions on cancer care teams.

The health care community was left largely unaware of the controversy that occurred at one of the clinical trial sites.