OncLive® On Air

In today’s episode, we welcomed Ruben Mesa, MD, FACP, who outlined the significance of the August 2026 FDA approval of ropeginterferon alfa-2b-njft (Besremi) for the treatment of adult patients with essential thrombocythemia. Dr Mesa is senior vice president of Atrium Health and president and executive director of the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In the exclusive interview, Dr Mesa discussed what the FDA approval of ropeginterferon alfa-2b means for the essential thrombocythemia treatment paradigm, detailed the key efficacy and safety findings from the phase 3 SURPASS-ET trial (NCT04285086) that supported the approval, and looked ahead to other research that could continue to affect this space.

In today’s episode, we spoke with Kim A. Reiss Binder, MD, about the August 2026 FDA approval of daraxonrasib (Rasonque) for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma who have received at least 1 prior systemic therapy or are not candidates for multi-agent systemic therapy. Dr Reiss Binder is the assistant program director of the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program and an associate professor of medicine (hematology-oncology) at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

In our exclusive interview, Dr Binder discussed the significance of this approval, key efficacy data from the pivotal phase 3 RASolute 302 trial (NCT06625320), and the importance of continuing to build off of treatment advances to drive clinical research and improve patient outcomes in this field. 

In this episode, we spoke with Arndt Vogel, MD, a faculty member at the University of Toronto Institute of Medical Science, a scientist at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, and a medical oncologist at the UHN–Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Canada.

In our exclusive interview, Dr Vogel highlighted the rationale and growing evidence for sequential FGFR inhibition in FGFR2 fusion–positive cholangiocarcinoma, explaining that on-target resistance mutations and the differing binding properties of agents like pemigatinib (Pemazyre), futibatinib (Lytgobi), and the more selective tinengotinib (TT-00420) support using these drugs in sequence, although he emphasized that treatment decisions remain biomarker-informed rather than biomarker-guided. He also stressed the importance of early, RNA-based next-generation sequencing, the emerging role of circulating tumor DNA in capturing polyclonal resistance, and his anticipation of forthcoming phase 3 tinengotinib data.

In this episode, produced in coordination with Oncology Nursing News®, Beth Faiman, PhD, MSN, APN-BC, AOCN, FAAN, FAPO, and Sikander Ailawadhi, MD, discussed evolving administration strategies for multiple myeloma therapies, primarily focusing on subcutaneous and on-body administration. Dr Faiman is an adult nurse practitioner in the Department of Hematology/Oncology at the Cleveland Clinic and a clinical member of the Cancer Prevention, Control and Population Research Program at Case Comprehensive Cancer Center in Ohio. Dr Ailawadhi is a consultant in the Division of Hematology/Oncology in the Department of Internal Medicine, a consultant in the Department of Cancer Biology, and a professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

In the first episode of a 3-part series, Drs Faiman and Ailawadhi outlined the transition to subcutaneous administration of anti-CD38 monoclonal antibodies in multiple myeloma management. They also highlighted the significance of the July 2026 FDA approval of satuximab-irfc (Sarclisa Escena) for subcutaneous injection for multiple myeloma indications, which includes administration with the CirCLIQ on-body delivery system. 

In today's episode, we spoke with Alissa Cooper, MD, and Noura Choudhury, MD. Dr Cooper is a physician at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, and Dr Choudhury is an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago in Illinois.

In our exclusive interview, Drs Cooper and Choudhury discussed the evolving role of DLL3-targeting T-cell engagers in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), with a focus on tarlatamab-dlle (Imdelltra) and how emerging trial data may reshape the current treatment paradigm across lines of therapy.

The discussion opened with the ongoing phase 3 DeLLphi-305 trial (NCT06211036), which is evaluating tarlatamab plus a PD-L1 inhibitor as first-line maintenance therapy following chemoimmunotherapy. Dr Choudhury noted that a positive readout from DeLLphi-305 could significantly diminish the future role of lurbinectedin (Zepzelca) in the maintenance setting, but emphasized that any adoption of tarlatamab as a standard maintenance strategy would require a clear and meaningful overall survival benefit, as well as a favorable toxicity profile compared with existing options. Dr Cooper added that a key outstanding question is whether tarlatamab will carry a different toxicity profile in the maintenance setting compared with the induction and maintenance setting, where higher disease burden may increase the risk of cytokine release syndrome (CRS).

The conversation also addressed the investigational agent obrixtamig, another DLL3 x CD3 bispecific T-cell engager in early-phase development, and how clinicians should think about differentiating these agents as the field matures. Both physicians noted that cross-trial comparisons remain premature given differences in study populations and development stage, and expressed that DLL3 testing requirements for investigational agents are unlikely to carry over into a future approved label, consistent with tarlatamab's current FDA indication.

On the question of DLL3 immunohistochemistry testing in routine practice, both physicians acknowledged a shifting perspective. While DLL3 is highly expressed in approximately 85% to 90% of SCLC tumors, real-world access to testing varies significantly, and logistical delays may outweigh the benefit of waiting for results before initiating treatment in a disease that can progress rapidly. Dr Choudhury noted that her viewpoint has evolved as emerging data suggest that certain molecular subtypes may derive little benefit from tarlatamab, making more informed patient selection increasingly important. Both agreed that an ideal solution would involve a rapid, commercially integrated assay, but cautioned that liquid biopsy approaches remain hypothesis-generating at this stage.

Finally, Drs Cooper and Choudhury reflected on the growing body of real-world experience with tarlatamab since its FDA approval, highlighting ongoing efforts to better characterize who is at highest risk for serious toxicities such as high-grade CRS and immune effector cell–associated neurotoxicity syndrome. Dr Choudhury described a future vision of a risk stratification calculator that could guide decisions about which patients still warrant monitored inpatient administration even if the label is updated to allow outpatient use.

In today's episode, we spoke with Jacqueline Aredo, MD, and Benjamin Bleiberg, MD. Dr Aredo is a thoracic oncologist at Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, and Dr Bleiberg is an adjunct assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

In our exclusive interview, Drs Aredo and Bleiberg reflected on the experiences and relationships that shaped their transitions from fellowship into their first faculty positions in thoracic oncology and on the role that smaller, specialty-focused meetings played in building the professional community that supported them along the way.

Both physicians spoke to the value of the ASCO Fellows Forum, a one-day event held annually before the ASCO Annual Meeting, describing it as a low-stakes, high-value environment where fellows present research abstracts in small groups alongside peers from other institutions and senior mentors. They noted that beyond the opportunity to practice presentation skills and refine research projects, the forum serves as a catalyst for organic relationships that have extended well beyond the event itself. Dr Bleiberg noted that many of the colleagues he met through programs like this, individuals with shared research interests at the same career stage, became lasting professional connections he would not have encountered otherwise. Dr Aredo added that these forums created direct pathways to mentors at institutions she was actively exploring for her job search, with several going on to advocate for her and connect her with senior investigators in her area of focus.

The discussion then broadened to the fellowship-to-faculty transition itself. Both physicians emphasized the importance of identifying priorities early and being transparent about those priorities throughout the interview process. Dr Aredo noted that the more non-negotiable parameters a fellow has, the narrower but clearer the search becomes. Dr Bleiberg highlighted the value of speaking candidly with junior faculty at prospective institutions to get an unfiltered view of institutional culture, and of presenting one's goals honestly so that the position that results is a genuine fit.

Both physicians also acknowledged that the job search timeline is far more asynchronous than prior training milestones like the match, with opportunities presenting themselves on different schedules from different institutions. They encouraged current fellows not to be discouraged by the pace or uncertainty of the process, and advised having a polished CV and cover letter ready sooner than expected. Leaning on internal mentors, external advocates, and co-fellows were cited as essential strategies for navigating what both described as a marathon rather than a sprint.

Finally, Drs Aredo and Bleiberg underscored that in a field where the world grows smaller the further along one progresses, investing early in community-building at specialty meetings pays dividends well beyond any single conference. Knowing one's research identity, following up on relationships consistently, and recognizing that today's co-fellows are tomorrow's collaborators and references were offered as the most lasting lessons from their own transitions into faculty life.

Highlights from the PER® CME activity "OncoBytes Adaptive Learning Pathways™: Decoding Precision Diagnostics and Targeted Therapies in Glioma" — this podcast is not certified for credit. To participate in the full accredited activity and earn CME credit, use the link below.

In this podcast, experts Vinay K. Puduvalli, MD; Ruham Nasany, MD; and Angela Waanders, MD, MPH, MS; discuss advances in molecular diagnostics and strategies to treat adults with low- and high-grade gliomas.

Earn CME credit by completing the full accredited activity (available through September 1, 2027): https://www.gotoper.com/courses/oncobytes-adaptive-learning-pathways-decoding-precision-diagnostics-and-targeted-therapies-in-glioma
This podcast, including the narration, was developed by PER® (Physicians’ Education Resource®, LLC) editorial staff from the full online CME activity developed with these faculty. The narration was voiced by a PER staff member or by an AI tool. The podcast contains no product advertising. The full activity is supported by an educational grant from Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for the independent clinical judgment of a health care professional. Faculty may discuss investigational or off-label uses; consult prescribing information for any products discussed.

In today’s episode, we welcomed Tracy I. George, MD, who provided a pathologist’s perspective on the diagnosis and evolving management considerations for systemic mastocytosis. Dr George is president of the Innovation Business Unit and chief scientific officer at ARUP Laboratories and a professor of pathology at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

In the exclusive interview, Dr George highlighted the key hallmarks of systemic mastocytosis that can inform diagnosis, detailed how pathologists collaborate with other multidisciplinary experts to care for patients with systemic mastocytosis, and explained how agents such as avapritinib (Ayvakit) and bezuclastinib (CGT9486) are transforming patient care.

In today’s episode, we spoke with Elias Jabbour, MD, and Dennis Kim, MD. Dr Jabbour is a professor of Leukemia at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Dr Kim is an associate professor at the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto in Canada.

In our exclusive interview, Drs Jabbour and Kim discussed the third-generation TKI olverembatinib (HQP1351), how it works, and its advantages compared with other treatment options for chronic myeloid leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Additionally, the 2 experts overviewed data for the investigational TKI that came out of the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting like the phase 1b HQP1351CU101 trial (NCT04260022) and a single-arm, multicenter study (ChiCTR2200061655), as well as the next steps for olverembatinib like in the ongoing phase 3 POLARIS-2 (NCT06423911) trial.

Highlights from the PER® CME activity "Advancing Targeted Therapy in HR+/HER2– Metastatic Breast Cancer: Integrating Next-Generation Endocrine and PAM-Pathway Strategies Into Practice
" — this podcast is not certified for credit. To participate in the full accredited activity and earn CME credit, use the link below.

In this podcast, experts Joyce O’Shaughnessy, MD, Sarat Chandarlapaty, MD, PhD, Mitchell Elliott, MD, FRCPC, and Seth A. Wander, MD, PhD, discuss how they are integrating recent data from pivotal clinical trials evaluating next-generation oral selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs) as well as inhibitors of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway into the management of patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative (HR+/HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (mBC), using a variety challenging clinical scenarios to draw out insights and clinical pearls.

Earn CME credit by completing the full accredited activity (available through July 31, 2027): https://www.gotoper.com/courses/advancing-targeted-therapy-in-hrher2-metastatic-breast-cancer-integrating-next-generation-endocrine-and-pam-pathway-strategies-into-practice
This podcast, including the narration, was developed by PER® (Physicians’ Education Resource®, LLC) editorial staff from the full online CME activity developed with these faculty. The narration was voiced by a PER staff member or by an AI tool. The podcast contains no product advertising. The full activity is supported by educational grants from Lilly; Rigel Pharmaceuticals; and Stemline Therapeutics, Inc.

This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for the independent clinical judgment of a health care professional. Faculty may discuss investigational or off-label uses; consult prescribing information for any products discussed.