Assembly Bill 774 aims to prohibit the use of step therapy protocols for certain cancer drugs prescribed for metastatic cancer or cancer-associated conditions. The bill specifies that insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, and utilization review organizations cannot require a step therapy protocol for these drugs if they are approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA), align with best practices for treatment, and are supported by peer-reviewed, evidence-based research. Step therapy protocols typically dictate the order in which medications must be tried before coverage is granted, which can delay access to necessary treatments for patients.

To implement this prohibition, the bill includes several new definitions and provisions. It renumbers an existing statute and creates new sections that define "cancer-associated condition" and "metastatic cancer." Additionally, it establishes a clear prohibition against requiring step therapy protocols for drugs meeting the specified criteria. This legislative change is intended to enhance patient access to timely and appropriate cancer treatment, thereby improving health outcomes for individuals affected by metastatic cancer.