VIDEO: Health disparities still an issue with CAR-T therapies

Editor’s note: This is a previously posted video, and the below is an automatically generated transcript to be used for informational purposes. Please notify editor@healio.com if there are concerns regarding accuracy of the transcription.

As far as consideration of disparities concerned, I think that has continued to remain an issue for cancer care in general. And we're all focusing on how to provide access to all we have. To all broad population without having any gender, racial, any other factors playing a role. Although despite that there are still issues. CAR T-Cellmatics in fact highlight that because there are currently special needs. One thing it is incredibly expensive. It's covered by Medicare, it's covered by insurances, et cetera, but it is incredibly expensive. That's number one. Number two, as I mentioned, it requires patient to stay within the treatment area and that puts added burden on the patient. It requires patients to be off work for a certain period of time. That adds an added burden for people with limited means or limited resources. And so as we develop this treatment, I think we have to also come up with ideas and processes to overcome any barriers that patients may feel. Maybe a financial burden, maybe logistics burden, and we got to be cognizant that treatments like this may enhance disparity and that we have to actively work on it to overcome it. I think there are many organizations, institutions are thinking about it, how to make it easier for patients, et cetera. And hopefully as we have more of the CAR T products, the financial and price structure might change in a favorable way. That's what we hope.