COA Survey Finds High Bispecific-Therapy Adoption Among Community Oncology Practices

Respondents Cite Reimbursement, Monitoring Tools, and Hospital Coordination as Leading Needs

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, September 22, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) today announced results from a national survey examining how independent community oncology practices deliver bispecific therapies. The findings show substantial adoption of bispecific therapies among community oncology practices, while also identifying reimbursement gaps, intensive monitoring demands, and coordination challenges with local hospitals as barriers to starting and sustaining in-office programs.

Key findings among survey respondents include:
– 91.4 percent of 93 respondents reported that their practices currently administer bispecific therapy in-office.
– 89.6 percent of 77 respondents reported providing maintenance dosing in-office for all patients.
– 51.3 percent of 78 respondents identified difficult or nonexistent hospital coordination for managing cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) as a barrier.
– 75.3 percent of 77 respondents wanted reimbursement codes covering nursing and pharmacy monitoring time.
– 75.3 percent of 77 respondents wanted clinical monitoring tools that could reduce staff burden.

Respondents reported that their practices prescribe bispecific therapies across hematologic malignancies and solid tumors and also participate in clinical trials involving investigational bispecific products.

Local administration may be especially important where hospital-based treatment requires additional travel. Among 76 respondents, 32.9 percent said the nearest hospital or academic medical center able to administer bispecific therapies was more than 25 miles from their office.

Hospital coordination was the most frequently reported barrier to starting or maintaining an in-office bispecific program. More than half of respondents – 51.3 percent – cited difficult or nonexistent coordination with local hospitals for managing CRS and ICANS. Other barriers included a lack of reimbursement for staff monitoring time, reported by 35.9 percent, and monitoring requirements that were too time-intensive for staff, reported by 28.2 percent.

“Community practices are not waiting on the sidelines – they are already delivering bispecific therapies and taking responsibility for ongoing treatment,” said Christine Pfaff, RPh, MBA, COA’s director of clinical initiatives. “What has not kept pace is the infrastructure surrounding that care. Practices need payment for the monitoring these treatments require and dependable hospital pathways when a patient needs urgent evaluation or admission beyond what can be managed in the practice.”

Respondents were also clear about the support they need to sustain and expand these programs. In addition to reimbursement for nursing and pharmacy monitoring time, 75.3 percent requested clinical monitoring tools that could ease staff burden. Respondents also prioritized fair product coverage and reimbursement, operational guidance and shared standard operating procedures, patient and caregiver resources, and stronger collaboration with hospitals.

COA fielded the survey to its networks over four weeks in June and July 2026. The survey received 104 responses, including 97 from respondents who identified as working in independent community oncology practices. The number of respondents varied by question.

The results indicate that many independent community oncology practices are already administering bispecific therapies and are interested in expanding or sustaining these programs, provided that payment policies, monitoring infrastructure, and local hospital partnerships keep pace with clinical innovation.

COA will use the findings to guide advocacy, education, and resources that help community oncology practices build and sustain bispecific-therapy programs.

Read the full COA bispecific survey results at https://mycoa.communityoncology.org/publications/studies-and-reports/community-oncology-bispecific-administration-survey-results.

###

About the Community Oncology Alliance: The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for community oncology practices and, most importantly, the patients they serve. COA is the only organization dedicated solely to community oncology where the majority of Americans with cancer are treated. The mission of COA is to ensure that patients with cancer receive quality, affordable, and accessible cancer care in their own communities. Learn more about COA at www.communityoncology.org.

Community Oncology Alliance
info@coacancer.org
Julie McDowell

Media gallery