Join ASTCT Director of Government Relations, Alycia Maloney, JD, and the reimbursement and policy advisors to ASTCT from Nimitt Consulting, for the Medicare FY 2026 IPPS Proposed Rule webinar on May 15 at 12 p.m. CDT.

Maloney and Nimitt will cover multiple CMS proposals for FY 2026, including the following key points:

• Proposed increase of approximately $45,000 to the base payment rate for MS-DRG 018 (CAR-T and Other Immunotherapies)
• Proposed decrease of approximately $5,000 to the base payment rate for MS-DRG 014 (Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant) 
• Proposed changes to the national adjusted operating standardized amounts (labor/non-labor portion of the payment)
• Proposed adjustments to the Fixed Loss Outlier Threshold amount
• Proposals regarding applications for New Technology Add-on Payment
• And more!

Comments can be submitted to CMS via https://www.regulations.gov/document/CMS-2025-0028-0001 (CMS-1833-P) and are due on or by June 10, 2025.

There will be a Q&A section at the end of the webinar. If you are unable to join, the recording will be made available. 

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

The Pharmacy HCT Core Topics Connection Live Session will air on Tuesday, May 13, at 2:00 - 3:00 pm CDT. This live session will focus on two core topics in the field - CAR T and Gene Therapy. The faculty below will briefly present slides on their topic, and then answer questions and share their experiences from their institutions. The target audience is PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy Residents, but is open to all trainees or other practitioners interested in HCT and cellular therapy. This webinar will not be recorded and there is no CE offered for attending this session.

Live Session Faculty:

CAR T 

Maggie Nelson, PharmD, BCOP

Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

The University of Kansas Health System

Amanda Yepes, PharmD, BCOP

Bone and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy Therapy Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

Moffitt Cancer Center 

Gene Therapy

Amanda Strommen, PharmD, BCOP

Clinical Pharmacist Specialist - Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapeutics

Children's Hospital Colorado 

Please join us for this overview of recent developments in cord blood transplant for heme malignancies. Our focus will be on manipulated graft sources and insights from real world use of expanded cord blood.

This presentation will feature the following speakers;

Expanded CBT and Cellular Optimization in CBT: Ann Dahlberg, MD (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center)  

Real World Experience With Omidubicel-onlv: Leland Metheny, MD (University Hospitals of Cleveland)

Immune Reconstitution in CBT and Goals: Pat Stiff, MD (Loyola University Medical Center) 

Moderated by Dr. Rajneesh Nath (Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center), ASTCT Cord Blood SIG Chair and Dr. Ogechukwu Egini (Rutgers University)

Join us for an expert-led session on Thursday, May 1st at 11 a.m. CDT exploring the rising concern of measles outbreaks and their unique risks for patients undergoing Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (HCT) and CAR T-cell therapies. This webinar will cover clinical implications, prevention strategies, and guidance for patient management in the context of immunocompromised populations. Attendees will gain insights from current data, vaccination strategies, and best practices for infection control and post-exposure management.

Intended Audience: Transplant physicians, infectious disease specialists, oncologists, pharmacists, and healthcare providers involved in immunocompromised patient care.

Panelists: 

Mini Kamboj, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Steven Pergam, MD, MPH, Fred Hutch Cancer Center

Alpana Waghmare, MD, University of Washington School of Medicine

Join the ASTCT Pharmacy SIG on Wednesday, April 30, from 12 – 1 p.m. CDT, for a special journal club session in collaboration with the EBMT. 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.

During the webinar, Drs. White and Nezalova-Henriksen will present two articles related to: (a) Treosulfan or busulfan plus fludarabine as conditioning treatment before allogeneic HSCT for older patients with AML or MDS and (b) Fludarabine-treosulfan versus fludarabine-melphalan or busulfan-cyclophosphamide conditioning in older AML or MDS patients. The articles that will be presented are copied below to read prior to the webinar.

This webinar is open to ASTCT members and non-members. Please note that this session will not offer any continuing education credits.

Presenters & Articles:

Olivia White, PharmD, BCOP

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

UT Southwestern Medical Center

Article: Treosulfan or busulfan plus fludarabine as conditioning treatment before allogeneic haemopoietic stem cell transplantation for older patients with acute myeloid leukaemia or myelodysplastic syndrome (MC-FludT.14/L): a randomised, non-inferiority, phase 3 trial

Katerina Nezvalova-Henriksen, PhD

Associate Professor – Section for Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Biosciences

University of Oslo

Article: Fludarabine-treosulfan versus fludarabine-melphalan or busulfan-cyclophosphamide conditioning in older AML or MDS patients - A clinical trial to registry data comparison

Moderators:

ASTCT

Tatjana Grgic, PharmD, BCOP

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

UNC Health

EBMT

Nick Duncan, FBOPA

Consultant Hematology Pharmacist

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

We are excited to announce an upcoming virtual roundtable on Wednesday, April 23, at 2 p.m. CDT that will delve into insights and key takeaways from ASH Annual Meeting and 2025 Tandem Meetings. This will be a great opportunity to explore and discuss latest advancements impacting BMT and cellular therapy and connect with your peers on these recent developments in our field. 

Expect a lively, informal Q&A session moderated by the ASTCT Pharmacy SIG Steering Committee. Through chat or open dialogue, you’ll have the opportunity to share insights and learn from your peers in transplantation and cellular therapy.

This event is open to all ASTCT members and non-members working in transplantation and cellular therapy. Have a question you'd like to see covered during the session? Submit it here: https://forms.office.com/r/mmWmwHea9T

Join the APP Professional Development Subcommittee on Wednesday, April 16, at 3 p.m. CT for a webinar on Exploring Career Opportunities for APPs in HCT and Cellular Therapy. Engage with a panel of APPs who work in various aspects of HCT and Cellular therapy including education, research, industry and leadership roles. Learn about unique APP roles as you think of expanding and enriching your professional journey. There will not be any continuing education offered for attending this webinar. 

Panelists:

• Michelle Skinner, DNP, APRN, CPNP-AC; Assistant Professor at Oregon Health & Science University 
• Samantha Newman, PNP-AC; Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at the University of Michigan Mott Children's Hospital
• Kathryn Ciccolini, DNP, AGACNP-BC, OCN, CNMAP, CPTM; Senior Director of Commercial Learning and Development, Cell Therapy Biotech Company
• Theresa Elko, DMSc., PA-C; Manager - Clinical Trials APPs at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Nicholas Szewczyk, APRN, MSN, ANP-C; Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Practitioner at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

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.