Oncology Pharmacists Connect 2026: Putting Data into Practice

Oncology pharmacy is constantly evolving—new drugs, data, trials, and research help open avenues for novel therapeutic options for patients with cancer. The annual Oncology Pharmacists Connect 2026 conference kicked off in Austin, Texas, filled with expert pharmacists to help break down practice-changing data presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois, and the 2026 European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress in Stockholm, Sweden.

Promising emerging data with favorable survival and response rates can be exciting in a field with so many patients in need, but knowing how to implement that data into real-world practice is where pharmacists are especially well positioned to support patient care efforts.

A panel of oncology pharmacists then took to the stage to present on emerging data in breast cancer, which were presented at the ASCO meeting. They highlighted agents across disease settings—from sacituzumab govitecan (SG, Trodelvy; Gilead Sciences, Inc) for the treatment of patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) to denosumab for those with bone metastases. Pharmacy Times spoke with Allison Butts, PharmD, BCOP, pharmacy manager, oncology, breast oncology, and clinical pharmacy specialist at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center in Lexington, who took part in the panel.

“[Pharmacists are] really guiding the providers in terms of efficacy, on top of all those other things, to make sure that we’re choosing the best drug for the patient [who’s] in front of us right now,” stated Butts.

Advancements in the multiple myeloma space also took center stage at the meeting. Data from the inMMyCAR (NCT07075185), MAJESTEC-9 (NCT05572515), and MONVISO (NCT05650632) trials show the continued push toward earlier use of T-cell–redirecting therapies in multiple myeloma, with emerging efficacy and safety signals that could reshape treatment sequencing across lines of therapy. The panelists also discussed data from a real-world study that explored survival outcomes with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy and bispecific antibody sequencing.² The data favored CAR T-cell therapy first, showing significantly improved long-term survival. Notably, there were no reported survival differences by specific agent, suggesting that treatment order may be the primary determinant of long-term outcomes rather than product selection.²

Five abstracts drove a wide-ranging discussion on what it actually takes to implement emerging data at the practice level for gastrointestinal malignancies. The survival benefit in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma observed in the phase 3 RASolute 302 trial (NCT06625320) is paired with an 85% incidence of rash that demands proactive dermatology relationships and stepwise patient education before the first dose is dispensed. Outcomes from BREAKWATER (NCT04607421) reinforce the use of FOLFIRI (eucovorin calcium [folinic acid], fluorouracil, and irinotecan hydrochloride)–based regimens for patients with BRAF V600E–mutated metastatic colorectal cancer who need deep, durable responses, with biomarker turnaround time identified as the primary bottleneck to timely access. Data from EMERALD-3 renewed the argument for pharmacist-led oral oncology clinics—a widely recognized need that remains underbuilt across most practice settings.

Other sessions throughout the first day echoed these themes, presenting trial data alongside concrete takeaways for pharmacy practice, reinforcing that the pharmacist’s role in oncology extends well beyond dispensing and into care coordination, treatment decisions, toxicity management, and patient access. Across malignancies, from solid tumors to hematology, pharmacists are critical stewards for optimal patient outcomes and effective translation of emerging clinical data into actionable practice, and the breadth of day 1’s programming made it clear that the field needs them to lead from the front.

REFERENCES

1. Butts A, Valletti D. Emerging biomarkers and precision treatment sequencing in breast cancer care. Pharmacy Times. June 18, 2026. Accessed June 18, 2026. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/emerging-biomarkers-and-precision-treatment-sequencing-in-breast-cancer-care

2. O’Brien J, Nair M, Cooper BW, et al. Survival outcomes comparing sequencing of CAR-T followed by BiTE versus BiTE followed by CAR-T in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma. Presented at: 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting; May 29-June 2, 2026; Chicago, IL. Abstract 7511.