The ASTCT Pharmacy SIG March 2024 Journal Club will air on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 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 March Journal Club session, Drs. Anderson and Boucher will present on two articles related to (a) motixafortide and G-CSF to mobilize hematopoietic stem cells for autologous transplantation in multiple myeloma and (b) recent bendamustine treatment before apheresis has a negative impact on outcomes in patients with large B-cell lymphoma receiving CAR T-cell therapy. This session is intended for pharmacists and other members of the health care team who are involved in managing patients undergoing CAR T-cell therapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

Presenters & Articles

Mallori Anderson, PharmD

PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident

WVU Medicine

Article: Recent Bendamustine Treatment Before Apheresis Has a Negative Impact on Outcomes in Patients With Large B-Cell Lymphoma Receiving Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy

Julie L. Boucher, PharmD, BCPS

PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident

Yale New Haven Hospital

Article: Motixafortide and G-CSF to mobilize hematopoietic stem cells for autologous transplantation in multiple myeloma: a randomized phase 3 trial

Session Learning Objectives:

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

1. Describe the effect of bendamustine on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) efficacy.
2. Analyze the efficacy outcomes for patients receiving bendamustine before apheresis versus bendamustine naive.
3. Discuss the safety outcomes related to bendamustine exposure after CAR T-cell therapy, and the impact of prior bendamustine exposure on CAR T-cell expansion.
4. Review HSC mobilization regimens available for autologous transplantation in multiple myeloma patients.
5. Describe the mechanism of action of motixafortide and Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor (G-CSF) to mobilize HSCs. 
6. Evaluate the efficacy and safety of motixafortide and G-CSF compared to plerixafor and G-CSF.

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 # JA0007204-9999-24-020-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 can be found here.

The Pharmacy HCT Core Topics Live Session will air on Wednesday, May 8, at 2 pm CT/3 pm ET. This live session will focus on two core topics in hematopoietic cell transplantation and cellular therapy- Immunosuppression management and HCT complications. 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:

Immunosuppression Management

Timothy Porter, PharmD, BCOP

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Immunotherapy 

Moffitt Cancer Center

Aaron Cumpston, PharmD, BCOP

Pharmacy Clinical Specialist - BMT/Hematologic Malignancy

PGY2-Oncology Residency Program Director

West Virginia University Medicine

HCT Complications

Andrew Lin, PharmD, BCOP

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Adult Bone Marrow Transplant

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

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

Clinical Oncology Pharmacist, Adult Bone Marrow Transplant

Duke University Medical Center

Introduction: Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) play a crucial role in the functioning of transplant and cellular therapy programs of all sizes.  Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner academic programs provide little training specific to HSCT and cellular therapy.  However, this area of health care requires specialized knowledge and skills. Transplant and cellular therapy programs in medical institutions must develop their own educational plans and resources. These can range from very minimal to extensive educational programs depending on the institution. In response, the ASTCT APP SIG (special interest group) identified a need for a standardized document to help better train, onboard, and educate APPs working in transplant and cellular therapy. A focus group of experienced APPs in the ASTCT SIG came together to review and update standards while including resources and user-friendly checklists. This document provides a comprehensive framework to support successful onboarding and education of new APPs who will be working with the cellular therapy patient population. It provides guidance for both the orientee and the mentor.  Resources included in this document are current (within 5 years if available) and highlight established consensus guidelines, evidence-based practice & current research. Currently, the goal is to review this document every 3-5 years to maintain an up-to-date onboarding and education program moving forward. 

Using This Document: This document aims to serve as a template and supplement to institutional onboarding programs. Each APP will have unique needs and baseline knowledge. As a result, this document can serve as a guide but may require changes to meet a specific need. As a new APP makes its way through this onboarding list, it is important that managers, team leads, and preceptors schedule intermittent meetings to check in and assess progress. Areas with a *** are competencies that FACT recommends.  While we suggest weeks for the different objectives, preceptors and trainees will likely be working on multiple areas of this document at the same time and do not need to work in a linear fashion. The assessment section is meant to help track progress through the document as well as progress through orientation.  Assessments may be based on activities, objectives, or resources.  The larger assessment sections have room to leave notes for both orientee and preceptor.

Acknowledgements: a special thank you to those who made this document a reality.

Mary Guay, PA-C
Rita M. Jakubowski DNP, RN, ANP-BC, OCN, BMTCN
Sarah Jimenez DNP, AGACNP, AOCNP
Samantha Newman, MSN, PNP-AC, BMTCN
Liza Rodriguez, DNP, MSN, FNP-C, AOCNP
Nancy Shreve, RN, MS, FNP, BMTCN
Jannelle Vicens, DNP, MSN FNP-BC, BSN
Elizabeth Zerante MS, AGACNP-BC

The ASTCT Pharmacy SIG November 2023 Journal Club will air on Wednesday, November 29, 2023 at 2 pm CST/3 pm EST. 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 November Journal Club session, Drs. Patel and Gash will present on two articles related to (a) ciltacabtagene autoleucel or standard of care treatment in lenalidomide-refractory multiple myeloma and (b) post-transplant cyclophosphamide, abatacept, and a short course of tacrolimus (CAST) after peripheral blood haploidentical HSCT. 

This session is intended for pharmacists and other members of the health care team who are involved in managing patients undergoing CAR T-cell therapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

Presenters & Articles

Shikha P. Patel, PharmD, BCPS

PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident

Mayo Clinic

Article: Cilta-cel or Standard Care in Lenalidomide-Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Kyle Gash, PharmD

PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident

Moffitt Cancer Center

Article: PTCy, abatacept, and a short course of tacrolimus for GVHD prevention after haploidentical transplantation

Session Learning Objectives:

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

1. Review the role of CAR T-cell therapy in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma
2. Describe the mechanism of action of ciltacabtagene autoleucel
3. Evaluate the efficacy and safety of ciltacabtagene autoleucel compared to standard regimens in the management of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma
4. Review graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis regimens following haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT)
5. Analyze the safety and efficacy of post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy), abatacept, and a short course of tacrolimus (CAST) for GVHD prevention
6. Discuss the utility of the CAST regimen for GVHD prevention after haploidentical HCT

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 JA0007204-9999-23-041-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 can be found here.

These are the recordings and slides of the four sessions from the live event the 2023 AcCELLerate Forum: Creating a Sustainable Ecosystem of Cell and Gene Therapy, hosted by ASTCT™, the CIBMTR® and the National Marrow Donor Program®(NMDP)/Be The Match®. This live event took place on October 2 and 3, 2023. The two-day, hybrid workshop offered providers, payers, government agencies, and industry involved in the field of cell and gene therapy increased educational and advocacy opportunities. This workshop featured educational sessions bridging the gap among stakeholders, and identify ongoing needs and opportunities in the field for advocacy, measurement of value and impact, and sustainability.

Purchase this package to get access to all ten sessions at a discounted rate! Individuals who registered to attend this event live are eligible to receive access to these recordings free of charge. Please email info@astct.org to receive your discount.

This is the recording and slides of the session presented live at the 2023 AcCELLerate Forum: Creating a Sustainable Ecosystem of Cell and Gene Therapy. The event aired live on Monday, October 2, 2023.

Topics include:

• CAR-T Barriers to Care
• Point of Care Manufacture of CAR T cells
• Point of Care Manufacturing: Enabling affordable and accessible advanced medicines

Session Chair:

• Boro Dropulić, PhD, MBA; Caring Cross

Speakers: 

• Armin Ghobadi, MD; Washington University School of Medicine
• Marcos de Lima, MD; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Boro Dropulić, PhD, MBA; Caring Cross

This is the recording and slides of the session presented live at the 2023 AcCELLerate Forum: Creating a Sustainable Ecosystem of Cell and Gene Therapy. The event aired live on Monday, October 2, 2023.

Topics include:

• Pearls of Cellular Therapy Manufacturing Logistics
• Clinical Use of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) and MSC-Exosomes: Immune Suppression, Regenerative Medicine, and Gene Delivery
• Virus-Specific T Cells

Session Chair:

• Elizabeth Shpall, MD; MD Anderson Cancer Center

Speakers: 

• Ray Hornung, MBA, MBCI, CEM, CBCP; NMDP
• Elizabeth Shpall, MD; MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Adrian Gee, PhD; Center for Cell & Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine Houston

This is the recording and slides of the session presented live at the 2023 AcCELLerate Forum: Creating a Sustainable Ecosystem of Cell and Gene Therapy. The event aired live on Monday, October 2, 2023.

Topics include:

• Equity of Access to HCT/ Cell Therapy
• Need to Reduce Business Operations Complexity in Advancing Patients Through Cellular Therapy Treatment
• Developing Tools to Widen Patient Access to Complex Therapies

Session Chair:

• Amy Emmert, MScPH, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Speakers: 

• Nandita Khera, MD, MPH; Mayo Clinic AZ 
• Amy Emmert, MScPH, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• Robert Richards, MS, MBA; Penn Medicine

This is the recording and slides of the session presented live at the 2023 AcCELLerate Forum: Creating a Sustainable Ecosystem of Cell and Gene Therapy. The event aired live on Monday, October 2, 2023.

Topics include:

• Bispecifics vs CARs
• Sequencing Bispecific Antibody Therapies and CAR-T cells in Multiple Myeloma
• Future Directions for Solid Tumors

Session Chair:

• Neha Korde, MD; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Speakers: 

• Syed Abbas Ali, MD; John Hopkins University 
• Neha Korde, MD; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Roisin O’Cearbhaill, MD; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

This is the recording and slides of the session presented live at the 2023 AcCELLerate Forum: Creating a Sustainable Ecosystem of Cell and Gene Therapy. The event aired live on Monday, October 2, 2023.

Topics include:

• Biological Drivers of CAR T Cell Failure
• Patient-Specific Factors Impacting CAR T Cell Efficacy

Session Chair:

• Shannon Maude, MD, PhD; Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania/Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Speakers: 

• Nathan Singh, MD; Washington University School of Medicine
• Regina Myers, MD; Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania/Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania