Hematology CME

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Thalassemias are a group of recessively inherited blood disorders characterized by little or no hemoglobin production and chronic anemia of varying severity. Beta-thalassemia (BT) is most commonly found in people of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Asian, and North African descent. Worldwide, 1.5% of people are BT carriers, with about 40,000 infants born with BT annually. About half of patients with BT are transfusion-dependent, which may significantly impact patient quality of life. BT is caused by a point mutation in the gene encoding hemoglobin subunit beta (HBB), resulting in either lower beta-globin production (termed beta-plus [B⁺]) or the prevention of all beta-globin production (termed beta-zero [B⁰]). Disease severity depends on the extent of hemoglobin β and γ chain imbalance.

Target Audience:

The following HCPs: hematologists; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists who practice in hematology; and any other healthcare professionals with an interest in or who may clinically encounter patients with beta-thalassemia.

Activity Description:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Pyruvate kinase (PK) is an enzyme that plays a major role in a metabolic pathway integral to the production of ATP, and a deficiency in the enzyme (PKD) is one of the most common enzyme-related glycolytic defects in a pathway integral to the production of ATP. It is transmitted as an autosomal recessive trait and is caused by mutations in the PKLR gene on chromosome 1, and over one hundred eighty of these mutations have been associated with PKD. While PKD affects approximately five people of European descent per 100,000 (data in other patient populations are lacking), it is one of the more frequent causes of chronic hemolysis. Anemia arising from the condition may range from mild and fully compensated to life-threatening in severity.

Target Audience:

HCPs including: hematology; nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and pharmacists who specialize in hematology; and those with an interest in or may clinically encounter patients with PKD.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Biosimilar drugs are products meant to be similar in quality, safety, and efficacy to an already licensed reference biotherapeutic product. Whereas generics are virtually identical replicas of conventional medications, biosimilars are not the same as the original product – a practically unavoidable outcome because of the considerably large molecular structure that biologics mimic. The literature suggests that learning activities focused on the evolving landscape of biosimilars, which are germane to the therapeutic area because of their potential role in cost containment. Both the FDA and medical literature independently affirm the need for clinician education on biosimilars, including: Comparative efficacy; adverse event rates and management (potential concerns have included immunogenicity); regulatory guidance on interchangeability and substitution – including prescribers retaining some degree of ability to intervene in a product’s substitution at the dispensing stage; and cost considerations.

Given the rapid expansion of these product types and the presence of gaps in the area of hematologic malignancies and oncologic and supportive care therapies, this activity has been designed to bring HCPs’ knowledge of biosimilar products in those areas up to date and to improve their competence and performance in employing them in practice.

Target Audience:

The following healthcare professionals: Hematologist-oncologists and medical oncologists; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists who practice in oncology; and any other healthcare professionals with an interest in or who clinically encounter patients with hematologic malignancy or oncologic disease states who may receive treatment with biosimilars.