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Chronic kidney disease affects about 37 million adults in the United States and is expected to rise. It is a common complication of type 2 diabetes.

In this week's episode of Tuning Into The C-Suite podcast, MHE's Briana Contreras chatted with David Calabrese, R.Ph, MHP, who is senior vice president and chief pharmacy officer of pharmacy care services company, OptumRx. David is also a member of Managed Healthcare Executives’ Editorial Advisory Board. During the discussion, he shared the OptumRx Quarter 2 Drug Pipeline Insights Report of 2020. Some of the information shared includes the three notable drugs currently being reviewed or those that have been recently approved by the FDA. Also discussed were any interesting industry trends to watch for.

An investigational higher dose of spinal muscular atrophy drug nusinersen gains attention as the FDA and European Medicines Agency (EMA) considerate it as an alternative than the current lower FDA-approved dosage.

Regulatory officials have identified 82 cases worldwide from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System of anaphylaxis associated with the use of Coxapone and the generic Glatopa that have resulted in hospitalization or death.

The investigational advanced melanoma combination therapy consisting of RP1 and nivolumab have a PDUFA action date of July 22, 2025.

Trump has reversed some of President Biden’s initiatives, including $2 monthly out-of-pocket cap on some generics and experimental pricing models for gene therapies. But so far the healthcare elements of the Inflation Reduction Act remain unchanged.