Cell and Gene Therapy Confidence Rising Across Healthcare
Summary of the Interview with Joe DePinto on Cellular adn Gene Therapies (CGTs)
This interview with Joe DePinto, as featured in Pharmacy Times, focuses on the challenges and opportunities surrounding the wider adoption of Cellular and Gene Therapies (CGTs).Here’s a breakdown of the key takeaways:
1. Increasing Familiarity, But Lingering Concerns:
* Growing Acceptance: Oncologists are becoming more familiar with CGTs (60% very familiar, up from 55% last year), and more are actively administering them (64% in 2025 vs. 55% in 2024).
* Perception of risk: Despite increased experience, a significant portion of oncologists (65%) still view CGTs as “largely unproven,” and patients perceive them as “risky or experimental” (66%).
* Need for Data & Education: Overcoming these perceptions requires more long-term durability data and expanded clinical education.
2. Financial & Systemic Barriers:
* Reimbursement Issues: Insurance coverage and patient costs are major obstacles, with 75% of oncologists citing them as reasons patients don’t receive CGT after referral.
* System Alignment: The U.S. healthcare system is currently not well-suited to handle the costs associated with CGT delivery. Choice payment models are seen as a potential solution.
3. Payers are Open, But Need Evidence:
* Positive Viewpoint: Payers generally recognize the potential of CGTs, with 90% considering them critically important medical advances, 80% believing they are effective, and 90% deeming them safe.
* Data Gaps: Payers need more long-term (5+ years) follow-up data to accurately assess value.
* Transparency is Key: Payers want clarity on delivery locations,clinical rationale,and consistent patient outcome reporting.
4. Expanding Access Through Community Pharmacies:
* Limited Treatment Centers: The number of qualified treatment centers hasn’t grown significantly.
* Community-Based Care: Expanding CGT care into community hospitals and clinics is crucial for accessibility, reducing travel burdens for patients.
* Role of Pharmacists: Hospital and community pharmacists can play a vital role in providing structured data, clinical context, and ongoing outcomes tracking to support payer coverage decisions and facilitate broader access.
In essence, the interview highlights that while CGTs hold immense promise, wider adoption hinges on addressing perceptions of risk, overcoming financial hurdles, and providing payers with the robust data and transparency they need to confidently support coverage. Pharmacists are positioned to be key players in bridging the gap between treatment and reimbursement.