Please join us for the ASTCT Pharmacy SIG Career Search Panel on Wednesday, October 18th at 2 pm CDT/ 3pm EDT.  This live session will feature a panel of pharmacists in traditional and non-traditional oncology pharmacy roles discussing their respective career paths. The goal of this session is to assist new and current pharmacy practitioners with navigating their career journeys by allowing them to engage with oncology pharmacists working in a variety of practice settings. This event is open to all healthcare professionals who are members and non-members of ASTCT. We hope to see you on October 18! 

Panelists:

• Amber Clemmons PharmD, BCOP, FHOPA - Clinical Professor University of Georgia College of Pharmacy, BMT Clinical Pharmacist at Wellstar-MCG Health, PGY2 Oncology Residency Director UGA/Wellstar-MCG Health 
• Julianna Roddy-McLean, PharmD, BCOP - Hematology Regional Medical Scientific Director at Merck 
• Kelley D. Carlstrom, PharmD, BCOP - CEO/Founder of KelleyCPharmD 
• LeAnne Kennedy, PharmD, BCOP, CPP, FHOPA - Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist PGY2 Oncology Residency Program Director, Oncology Clinical Manager at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Pharmacy Clinical Specialist in Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapy, HOPA President 
• Eric Gaskill, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS – H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Bone Marrow Transplant/Cellular Immunotherapy Pharmacy Clinical Specialist 
• David DeRemer, PharmD, BCOP, FCCP, FHOPA - Clinical Professor at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy and the Assistant Director of Experimental Therapeutics Group at the University of Florida Health Cancer Center 

If you have any questions for our panelists, please submit them to info@astct.org with the subject line, 'ASTCT Pharmacy SIG Career Search Initiative Q&A.'

The September 2023 Pharmacy SIG Journal Club will air on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at 2 pm CDT/3 pm EDT. This webinar consists of two, 30-minute journal club presentations, which include 20 minutes for the presentation and 10 minutes for discussion and a Q&A session. In the September Journal Club session, Drs. Knauss and Zodrow will present on two articles related to (a) post-transplant cyclophosphamide for graft-versus-disease (GVHD) prophylaxis for patients undergoing allogeneic HCT with reduced intensity conditioning and (b) abatacept for steroid-refractory chronic GVHD. This session is intended for pharmacists and other members of the health care team who are involved in managing patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplant.

Presenters & Articles

Gionna Knauss, PharmD

PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident

Geisinger Medical Center

Article: Post-Transplantation Cyclophosphamide-Based Graft-versus-Host Disease Prophylaxis

Rebecca Zodrow, PharmD

PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident

University of Kansas

Article: Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating abatacept in patients with steroid-refractory chronic graft-versus-host disease

Session Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of the activity, participants should be able to:

1. Review graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis strategies for allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplant
2. Compare GVHD outcomes for patients receiving Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide-tacrolimus-mycophenolate mofetil compared to standard prophylaxis methotrexate-tacrolimus
3. Evaluate the efficacy of abatacept in patients with steroid-refractory chronic graft-versus-host-disease (cGVHD)
4. Analyze the safety and tolerability of abatacept in patients with steroid-refractory cGVHD
5. Discuss the clinical role of abatacept in patients with steroid-refractory cGVHD

ACCREDITED PROVIDER

This activity is jointly provided by The France Foundation and American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT).

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by The France Foundation and American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT). The France Foundation is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

CREDIT DESIGNATION

Pharmacists

This knowledge-based activity, UAN JA0007204-9999-23-038-L01-P, qualifies for 1.0 contact hours (0.10 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy education credit. Please submit all evaluations and credit requests no later than 30days after you complete this activity to ensure your credit fulfillment, as CE credit cannot be awarded past 60 days from the activity date. Your CE credits will be electronically submitted to the NABP upon successful completion of the activity. Pharmacists with questions can contact NABP customer service (custserv@nabp.net).

All other healthcare professionals completing this course will be issued a statement of participation.

The full CE information for this session, including presenter disclosures and accreditation information, can be found here.

Background:

This webinar will focus on recent research in the use of hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) and gene therapy as curative therapies for sickle cell disease (SCD), convening a panel of experts to explore patient eligibility, perceptions, and overcoming barriers to care. Many patients and providers alike are unfamiliar with HCT as a potential curative option for SCD patients, and there are many misperceptions as gene therapy gains more public attention. Demystifying transplant among SCD providers and elucidating inclusion and exclusion criteria for curative therapies can help physicians and families make informed treatment decisions. Encouraging discussion about HCT and gene therapy’s role in the treatment of SCD can help ensure that patients and providers can appropriately weigh their options, increasing access to curative care when appropriate.

Description:

During this interactive roundtable-style webinar, our expert HCT, gene therapy, and SCD panelists will discuss some of the latest research and advances in HCT and gene therapy for SCD, as well as compare eligibility criteria and barriers to care through an example case. Panelists will further explore prominent physician and patient perceptions of curative therapies for SCD and how to ensure access to these therapies for patients and their families. This webinar will be relevant for both transplant centers and community hematologists/oncologists and SCD program providers who refer out for transplant and cellular therapies, discussing the role that all practitioners can play in improving access to curative treatment options.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, the learners should be able to: 

• Define current trends and advances in HCT and gene therapy as curative therapies for SCD
• Demystify HCT and gene therapy in the treatment of SCD
• Identify eligibility criteria for curative SCD therapies and barriers to care
• Describe patient resources for SCD through the Sickle Cell Warrior Program and HLA Today
• Recognize how transplant centers and hematology/oncology or SCD providers can work together to improve access to HCT

Accreditation Statement: In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by The France Foundation, National Marrow Donor Program, and American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT). The France Foundation is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

TARGET AUDIENCE

This educational activity is intended for physicians, nurses, and other members of the health care team who care for patients who may benefit from hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

This webinar will focus on recent research in the use of hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) and gene therapy as curative therapies for sickle cell disease (SCD), convening a panel of experts to explore patient eligibility, perceptions, and overcoming barriers to care. Many patients and providers alike are unfamiliar with HCT as a potential curative option for SCD patients, and there are many misperceptions as gene therapy gains more public attention. Demystifying transplant among SCD providers and elucidating inclusion and exclusion criteria for curative therapies can help physicians and families make informed treatment decisions. Encouraging discussion about HCT and gene therapy’s role in the treatment of SCD can help ensure that patients and providers can appropriately weigh their options, increasing access to curative care when appropriate.

During this interactive roundtable-style webinar, our expert HCT, gene therapy, and SCD panelists will discuss some of the latest research and advances in HCT and gene therapy for SCD, as well as compare eligibility criteria and barriers to care through an example case. Panelists will further explore prominent physician and patient perceptions of curative therapies for SCD and how to ensure access to these therapies for patients and their families. This webinar will be relevant for both transplant centers and community hematologists/oncologists and SCD program providers who refer out for transplant and cellular therapies, discussing the role that all practitioners can play in improving access to curative treatment options.

Please review this information, and proceed below

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, the learners should be able to:

• Define current trends and advances in HCT and gene therapy as curative therapies for SCD
• Demystify HCT and gene therapy in the treatment of SCD
• Identify eligibility criteria for curative SCD therapies and barriers to care
• Describe patient resources for SCD through the Sickle Cell Warrior Program and HLA Today
• Recognize how transplant centers and hematology/oncology or SCD providers can work together to improve access to HCT

FACULTY

Heather Stefanski, MD, PhD (moderator)

Vice President, Medical Services

NMDP/Be The Match 

Elizabeth Stenger, MD, MSc

Blood and Marrow Transplant Physician

Aflac Cancer & Blood Disorders Center

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta/Emory University

Haydar Frangoul, MD Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Transplant Physician Program Director Sarah Cannon Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Cellular Therapy

TriStar Centennial

Shalu Narang, MD

Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist Associate Clinical Professor, Rutgers and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Section Chief, Benign Hematology

Associate Director, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey

PLANNING COMMITTEE

Anna Cincotta, FNP

Senior Clinical Operations Partner

National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)/ Be The Match

Karla Dawson, MPH

Health Equity Professional

National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)/ Be The Match

Olivia Gunn

Membership and Operations Senior Associate

American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy

Amber Ruffin, MPH

Associate Program Manager, Health Equity

National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)/ Be The Match

Samantha Watters, MPH

Research and Education Lead

Community Physician Engagement

National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)/ Be The Match

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PARTICIPATION AND REQUESTING CREDIT

There are no fees for participating and receiving credit for this activity. Successful completion is achieved by reviewing the CE information, attending the activity, and completing the evaluation form. 

Credit fulfillment

• If you are requesting AMA credits or a certificate of participation, your certificate will be available for download.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

This site and its activities are best viewed using the latest versions of the Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari browsers. Additionally, this site and its activities are best viewed using the latest Operating System for your device.

ACCREDITED PROVIDER  This activity is jointly provided by The France Foundation, National Marrow Donor Program, and American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT). 

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by The France Foundation, National Marrow Donor Program, and American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. The France Foundation is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

CREDIT DESIGNATION

Physicians

The France Foundation designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

All other healthcare professionals completing this course will be issued a statement of participation.

DISCLOSURE POLICY In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support, The France Foundation (TFF), the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), and the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT) require that individuals in a position to control the content of an educational activity disclose all relevant financial relationships with any commercial interest. TFF, NMDP, and ASTCT resolve all conflicts of interest to ensure independence, objectivity, balance, and scientific rigor in all their educational programs. Furthermore, TFF NMDP, and ASTCT seek to verify that all scientific research referred to, reported, or used in a CME/CE activity conforms to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection, and analysis. TFF NMDP, and ASTCT are committed to providing learners with high-quality CME/CE activities that promote improvements in health care and not those of a commercial interest.

Planning committee members, faculty, reviewers, and activity staff have disclosed the following relevant financial relationships. All relevant financial relationships listed have been mitigated.

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use:

TFF, NMDP/ Be The Match, and ASTCT require CME faculty (speakers) to disclose when products or procedures being discussed are off label, unlabeled, experimental, and/or investigational, and any limitations on the information that is presented, such as data that are preliminary, or that represent ongoing research, interim analyses, and/or unsupported opinion. Faculty in this activity may discuss information about pharmaceutical agents that is outside of US Food and Drug Administration approved labeling. This information is intended solely for continuing medical education and is not intended to promote off-label use of these medications. TFF, NMDP/ Be The Match, and ASTCT do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications. If you have questions, contact the Medical Affairs Department of the manufacturer for the most recent prescribing information.

MEDIA DISCLOSURE

Your registration, attendance at, and/or participation in this meeting constitutes consent to being photographed, videotaped, or recorded during the meeting by The France Foundation, its educational collaborators, or anyone authorized on behalf of these organizations.  You further authorize, without any compensation paid to you, the use of any photographs, videos, or recordings that contain your likeness, image, or voice in any educational, informational, commercial, or promotional materials produced and/or distributed by The France Foundation, its educational collaborators, or anyone authorized by these organizations, as well as on any internet sites maintained by any of these entities. Images/recordings used for these purposes will not be sold, and no personal information about you or the subject (other than event location and date) will be included in the production of any material.

Disclaimer

TFF, NMDP/ Be The Match, and ASTCT present this information for educational purposes only. The content is provided solely by faculty who have been selected because of recognized expertise in their field. Participants have the professional responsibility to ensure that products are prescribed and used appropriately on the basis of their own clinical judgment and accepted standards of care. The France Foundation, NMDP/ Be The Match, ASTCT and the commercial supporter(s) assume no liability for the information herein.

CONTACT INFORMATION

If you have questions about this CME activity, please contact The France Foundation at 860-434-1650 or info@francefoundation.com.

Please review this information, and proceed below

Join ASTCT Director of Government Relations, Alycia Maloney, JD and Reimbursement and Policy Advisors to ASTCT from Nimitt Consulting for a webinar on Medicare rule updates on August 30 at 12pm Central/1pm Eastern. 

 Maloney and Nimitt team members will cover:

• Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Final Rule:
  • Final payment policy for MS-DRG 018 for CAR-T and changes to the relative weight, and update on the fixed-loss outlier threshold
  • Overall payment update and updates to the Stem Cell Transplant MS-DRGs (014, 016 and 017)
  • Reponses to ASTCT requests to Medicare on payment rate methodology
  • New Technology Add-on Payment (NTAP) approvals relevant to the ASTCT membership
• Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Proposed Rule:
  • Payment updates to CAR-T and SCT codes
• Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Proposed Rule:
  • Proposed payment for dental services for CAR-T patients, among others
  • New codes and payment updates applicable to ASTCT member physicians

There will be a Q&A section at the end of the webinar, so be sure to register and submit any questions in advance that you would like answered during the webinar to info@astct.org. If you are unable to join, the recording will be made available. 

Please consider sharing this webinar with your network of doctors, administrators, providers, or any other colleagues that may be interested.

The Fundamentals of HCT eBook provides up-to-date clinical information and covers the entire transplant process from pre-transplant consultation to post-transplant care. The book includes 31 chapters that highlight introduction to transplant, CAR-T, stem cell mobilization, pediatrics, and more!

The 2023 ASTCT Clinical Immersion Course took place virtually on Thursday, June 8 and Friday, June 9, 2023. This package includes access to the session recordings and slides.

The Clinical Immersion Course provides an introductory overview to the field of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and cellular immunotherapy (CI). This course is ideal for industry stakeholders who are new to the field, as well as learners who seek to supplement their knowledge on the basics of HCT-CI.

The Clinical Immersion Course will include a number of topics including:

·         Basics of Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

·         Conditioning Regimens and Immunosuppressive Therapies

·         Graft versus Host Disease: Acute and Chronic

·         Non-infectious Complications

·         Infectious Complications: Bacterial, Viral, Fungal

·         Quality of Life, Patient Reported Outcomes and Survivorship

·         Value of the Multidisciplinary Care Team in Patient Care Panel

·         Cellular Immunotherapy

Purchase this package to get access to the session recordings and slides! Individuals who registered to attend this event live are eligible to receive access to these recordings free of charge. If you attended the Clinical Immersion Course and would like access to this package, please email info@astct.org for assistance.

The Clinical Immersion Course package is only accessible for those who attended the live course or that purchased the package after the live course. Resale or sharing of this content is prohibited.

The June 2023 Pharmacy SIG Journal Club will air on Wednesday, June 7 from 2-3 PM CDT. In the June Journal Club session, Drs. Chen and Scott will present on two articles related to use of (a) defibrotide for prophylaxis of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome and (b) allogeneic transplant in newly diagnosed patients with AML following venetoclax/azacytidine or intensive induction. This session is intended for pharmacists and other members of the health care team who are involved in managing patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplant. 

Presenters & Articles

Teaghan Chen, PharmD

PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident

Children’s Hospital Colorado

Defibrotide plus best standard of care compared with best standard of care alone for the prevention of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (harmony): a randomised, multicentre, phase 3 trial

Campbell Scott, PharmD

PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident

University of Georgia

Outcomes Are Similar After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant for Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients who Received Venetoclax + Azacitidine Versus Intensive Chemotherapy

Session Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of the activity, participants should be able to:

1. Describe current standards of care in the prevention of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome
2. Evaluate the safety and efficacy of defibrotide use for the prevention of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome
3. Compare sinusoidal obstruction syndrome outcomes in patients that received defibrotide plus standard of care standard versus care alone
4. Summarize the role of venetoclax plus azacitidine in the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia
5. Compare post-allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant outcomes between patients who received initial induction with venetoclax plus azacitidine or an intensive chemotherapy regimen

ACCREDITED PROVIDER

This activity is jointly provided by The France Foundation and American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT).

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by The France Foundation and American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT). The France Foundation is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

CREDIT DESIGNATION

Pharmacists

This knowledge-based activity, UAN  # JA0007204-9999-23-037-L01-P, qualifies for 1.0 contact hours (0.10 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy education credit. Please submit all evaluations and credit requests no later than 30 days after you complete this activity to ensure your credit fulfillment, as CE credit cannot be awarded past 60 days from the activity date. Your CE credits will be electronically submitted to the NABP upon successful completion of the activity. Pharmacists with questions can contact NABP customer service (custserv@nabp.net).

All other healthcare professionals completing this course will be issued a statement of participation.

The full CE information for this session, including presenter disclosures and accreditation information, can be found here. 

Join ASTCT Director of Government Relations, Alycia Maloney, JD, and the reimbursement and policy advisors to ASTCT from Nimitt Consulting, for the FY 2024 IPPS Proposed Rule webinar on May 17 at 12 p.m. CDT.

Maloney and Nimitt will cover:

• Important IPPS Updates
  • Proposed consolidation of CC/MCC MS-DRGs and its impact on IPPS
  • Proposed changes to the New Technology Add-On Payment (NTAP) process
• CAR-T Therapy Updates:
  • Proposed payment policy for MS-DRG 018 for CAR-T therapy and changes to CMS’ special rate-setting methodology for MS-DRG 018, and update on the fixed-loss outlier threshold
  • Proposed expiration of NTAP for three CAR-T therapy products
• Stem Cell Transplant Updates:
  • Overall payment update and relative weight increases
  • CMS’ proposal for handling the weights of MS-DRGs 016 and 017
  • ICD-10-PCS procedure code mappings to the transplant MS-DRGs
  • Additional key updates to be aware of

There will be a Q&A section at the end of the webinar, so be sure to register and submit any questions in advance that you would like answered during the webinar to info@astct.org. If you are unable to join, the recording will be made available.

Please consider sharing this webinar with your network of doctors, administrators, providers, or any other colleagues that may be interested.

ASTCT April Journal Club Session

This journal club aired live on April 19, 2023, as a part of the expanded ASTCT Journal Club, and in partnership with the ASTCT Infectious Disease Special Interest Group. This webinar consisted of two, 30-minute journal club presentations, which included 20 min for presentation and 10 min for discussion/Q and A.

Presenters & Articles:

Dr. Rich Kodama, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Mentor: Dr. Aliyah Baluch, Moffitt Cancer Center

Maribavir for Refractory Cytomegalovirus Infections With or Without Resistance Post-Transplant: Results From a Phase 3 Randomized Clinical Trial

Dr. Jessica Little, Harvard University

Mentor: Dr. Ella Ariza, MD Anderson Cancer Center

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Cell-Mediated Immunity and CMV Infection After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: The REACT Study

Join our expert panelists in this roundtable webinar to discuss unmet needs in graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). In this webinar, our moderator Dr. Noa Holtzman (National Cancer Institute of NIH) leads a discussion with expert panelists Dr. Betty Hamilton (Cleveland Clinic) and Dr. Shernan Holtan (University of Minnesota) about the recent advancements and anticipated future developments in GVHD. Topics discussed include: an overview of the current state of GVHD, advancements in GVHD prevention and treatment, how to better care for GVHD patients, and future changes in the field. This webinar is supported by the GVHD Alliance in honor of the first ever GVHD Day on Friday, February 17, at the 2023 Tandem Meetings of ASTCT & CIBMTR. The GVHD Alliance and GVHD Day are supported by Sanofi.