In this interview with Pharmacy Times, Karen Knudsen, PhD, MBA, CEO of Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, discusses the evolving role of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab (Keytruda; Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC) in desmoplastic melanoma and what it could mean for multidisciplinary cancer care. She highlights the importance of maintaining “sequence integrity” as immunotherapy moves earlier in the treatment paradigm, emphasizing how oncology pharmacists can support standardized, evidence-based sequencing and perioperative immune toxicity readiness. Knudsen also explains how the Parker Institute’s collaborative, multi-institutional network accelerates innovation—particularly in rare cancers—by enabling rapid data sharing and strengthening the clinic-to-biology feedback loop. She underscores the importance of de-risking science before large-scale clinical testing and recognizes the role of National Institutes of Health–supported research in advancing transformative trials.