The ASTCT Pharmacy SIG March 2025 Journal Club will air on Wednesday, March 26 at 2 pm CT/3 pm ET. This webinar will consist 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 this Journal Club session, Drs. Ortiz and Tran will present two articles related to: (a) Vedolizumab for the prevention of intestinal acute GVHD after allo-HSCT and (b) safety and efficacy of obecabtagene autoleucel in adults with B-Cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Presenters & Articles:

Kristina Ortiz, PharmD

PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident

UCHealth – University of Colorado Hospital

Article: Vedolizumab for the prevention of intestinal acute GVHD after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a randomized phase 3 trial

Hanh Tran, PharmD

PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident

Wellstar MCG Health

Article: Obecabtagene Autoleucel in Adults with B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Session Learning Objectives:

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

• Review current graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis regimens for matched unrelated donor (MUD) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT)
• Analyze the safety and efficacy of vedolizumab combined with calcineurin inhibitors with methotrexate or mycophenolate mofetil for acute intestinal GVHD prophylaxis
• Discuss the role of vedolizumab as GVHD prophylaxis for matched unrelated HSCT
• Describe the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia
• Discuss the differences between CAR-T therapies in the management of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia
• Evaluate the role of obecabtagene autoleucel in adults with relapsed, refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

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 JA0007204-9999-25-035-L01-P, qualifies for 1.0 contact hour (0.10 CEU) 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 can be accessed here.

This meeting aired on Thursday, January 30 at 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. CT. Drs. Christine Duncan and Catherine Lee, Survivorship SIG Leadership, provided updates within the SIG and accomplishments over the last year. Dr. Neel Bhatt gave a summary of his earlier presentation "Updates to REAL-HCT Study (Real-World Assessments of Long-Term Follow-up in HCT)". The 2025 Survivorship SIG award winners, Drs. Baker and Socie, were presented. 

Are you preparing to attend your first professional conference? Join us on Wednesday, January 29, for the first webinar in the APP SIG’s professional development and mentorship series. This session on ‘Attending Your First Conference,’ is designed to guide you through the essential strategies and tips for making the most of your experience. At the session, Bettina Zerante, NP; University of Chicago Medical Center, will share valuable advice on how to network effectively, maximize learning opportunities, and navigate the conference environment with confidence. Whether you’re looking to expand your skills, connect with mentors and peers, this session will provide the tools you need to make a lasting impression at your first event.

Join the ASTCT APP SIG on Tuesday, January 21, at 1:00 p.m. CST for an insightful and informative webinar on Gynecologic Issues in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. At this session, Dr. Monica Rosen (University of Michigan) will delve into the complex and often overlooked gynecologic concerns in pediatric hematology, oncology, and stem cell transplant. She will review menstrual suppression in these patients and discuss thrombosis risk of hormones used for contraception/menstrual suppression. Dr. Rosen will also review options for fertility preservation in patients with cancer. 

This is a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights into this important topic, with plenty of time dedicated to an engaging Q&A session to address any audience questions and foster meaningful discussion. This webinar is open and free to all ASTCT members and non-members. There will be no CME offered for attending this webinar. 

Speaker:

Monica Woll Rosen, MD

Clinical Associate Professor

University of Michigan Health

The Pharmacy HCT Core Topics Connection Live Session will air on Thursday, January 9, at 2:00 - 3:00 pm CST. This live session will focus on two core topics in hematopoietic cell transplantation - HCT Complications and Infection Prophylaxis. The faculty below will answer questions about their respective topics and share their experiences from their institutions. The target audience is PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy Residents, but is open to all trainees practicing or interested in transplantation and cellular therapy. This webinar will not be recorded and there is no CE offered for attending this session.

Live Session Faculty:

HCT Complications

Grashma Vadakkel, PharmD, BCOP

Bone Marrow Transplant Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Jade Braun, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS

Hematology/Oncology Clinical Pharmacist 

Mayo Clinic Hospital -Rochester

Infection Prophylaxis 

Aaron Cumpston, PharmD, BCOP

Pharmacy Clinical Specialist - Hematological Malignancy, Transplant and Cellular Therapy

West Virginia University Medicine

Terri Lynn Shigle, PharmD, BCOP

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist – Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy

MD Anderson Cancer Center

This educational offering will focus on core topics in hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and cellular therapy. The target audience is PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy Residents, but participation is open to all pharmacists or pharmacy trainees practicing or interested in transplantation and cellular therapy.  

Topics:

- Graft-versus-Host Disease (GVHD) – Presented by Zahra Mahmoudjafari, PharmD, BCOP, DPLA and Rebecca Gonzalez, PharmD, BCOP
- Infection Prophylaxis in HCT – Presented by Arpita Shah Gandhi, PharmD, BCOP and Dennis Marjoncu, PharmD, BCOP
- Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell Therapies – Presented by Katie S. Gatwood, PharmD, BCOP and May T. Aziz, PharmD, BCOP
- Conditioning Regimens Used in Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation – Presented by Binni Kunvarjee, PharmD, BCOP, Maggie Nelson, PharmD, BCOP, and Vinita Pai, PharmD, MS  

Each module includes a recorded presentation, a post-test, a brief evaluation, and a certificate of completion.

The webinar will focus on international survivorship guidelines surveillance recs on SMN screening- specifically breast and colorectal cancer and will provide more background and rationale for changes in the recommendations in new guidelines.  

Speakers:

Neel S. Bhatt, MBBS, MPH, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center/ University of Washington 

Rachel Phelan, MD, MPH, Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin

Seth Rotz, MD, Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital

The Pharmacy HCT Core Topics Connection Live Session will air on Tuesday, November 12, at 2 pm CT/3 pm ET. This live session will focus on two core topics in hematopoietic cell transplantation and cellular therapy- Acute GVHD and Chronic GVHD. The faculty below will answer questions about their respective topics and share their experiences from their institutions. The target audience is PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy Residents, but is open to all trainees practicing or interested in transplantation and cellular therapy. This webinar will not be recorded. 

Live Session Faculty:

Acute Graft vs Host Disease

C. Brooke Adams, PharmD, BCOP

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist- Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy

Orlando Health Cancer Institute

JoEllen Weilnau, PharmD

Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator- Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant

Akron Children's Hospital

Chronic Graft vs Host Disease

Rebecca Gonzalez, PharmD, BCOP

Clinical Pharmacist Specialist- Blood and Marrow Transplantation-Cellular Immunotherapy 

Moffitt Cancer Center

Elizabeth R. Eubanks, PharmD, MPH, BCPS, BCOP

Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner- Ambulatory Adult Bone Marrow Transplant

Duke Blood Cancer Center

Please join us for the ASTCT Pharmacy SIG Career Search Panel on Wednesday, October 23th at 2 p.m. CDT/ 3 p.m. 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 23!  

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      
• 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  
• 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  
• Kelly Gaertner Brandt, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS - Oncology Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute

The ASTCT Payor Relations Committee will host the webinar, 'Immune Effector Cell Therapies: Best Practices for Financial and Administrative Operations Success,' on October 10th from 11-12 p.m. CDT. This webinar will provide guidance on the unique patient authorization workflows and administrative oversight to implement and operate a successful immune effector cell therapy program. Faculty from the Payor Relations Committee will review best practices for establishing interdisciplinary workflows, focusing on institutional staff roles and participation, common pitfalls steps required to ensure expected reimbursement. This is a great chance for new centers to learn how experienced centers have evolved their approach to administrative workflows for these complex therapies. This webinar is free and open to ASTCT members and non-members.

Faculty:

Amy Emmert, MScPH; Executive Director for Cellular Therapy External Affairs at Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Cynthia Devroy, Manager, Oncology Business Operations, Northside Hospital

Catherine Cardona, Program Analyst, Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapies Program, The University of Kansas Cancer Center

Gary Goldstein, Senior Manager, BMT and Cellular Therapy Program, Stanford Health Care