The Science Council is the College’s largest council with 14 committees and more than 160 volunteer members with a broad range of expertise. The College relies on the Council to evaluate and coordinate current therapeutic and diagnostic issues of importance to our members and the allergy-immunology community.
Most recently, the Council’s Asthma and Biologics and Pharmacology Committees participated in the review of Anthem’s medical policies pertaining to monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of eosinophilic conditions. By conducting these reviews and submitting our comments, the College helps influence Anthem’s medical policies for biologics and helps to ensure patients have access to these treatments.
Several Science Council committees have contributed to the development of prior authorization appeal letters, which are included in our Prior Authorization Toolkit. The customizable letters help members obtain approval for a variety of medications. Currently these include Xolair for urticaria, Dupixent for atopic dermatitis, and Nucala, Cinqair and Xolair for asthma. Members of the Asthma, Dermatology and Biologics and Pharmacology Committees developed medical and scientific justification for why these medications are needed and why others are ineffective.
The College also relies on the Science Council to advise the Executive Medical Director (EMD) on responses to inquiries submitted via the Ask the Expert column. As an example, the EMD turned to the Anaphylaxis Committee to consider a member inquiry related to testing for triptan allergy. The Committee discussed the specifics of the case provided by the member clinician and developed recommendations for further evaluation.
In addition, the Council helps shape the Annual Scientific Meeting program, enhance educational offerings and update patient-centered content on the public website in collaboration with the Education and Communications Councils. These efforts underscore the cooperative spirit and dedication of our member volunteers, which are critical to advancing the work of the College.
