Release Date: March 14, 2024
Expiration Date: March 14, 2025

Expected time to complete this activity as designed: 60 minutes
There are no fees for participating in or receiving credit for this online activity.

Program Overview

This activity explores how current and emerging agents for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) target the complement system cascade. Follow along with the faculty as they explore the role of the complement system cascade in PNH disease pathogenesis, and address how emerging agents that build upon the current standards of care – including C5, C3 and factor B inhibitors – have potential to improve outcomes for patients with this disease.  A case study is included to help demonstrate the importance of optimizing treatment in PNH and to explore the clinical circumstances in which switching treatment regimens may be indicated.

Target Audience

This program is intended for hematology/oncology physicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists and clinicians who provide care to patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this educational activity, participants should be able to:

• Outline the function of the complement system cascade, focusing on the role of the terminal and proximal complement pathways in PNH disease pathogenesis
• Align the therapeutic rationale for inhibition of C5, C3, factor B and factor D in PNH with safety and efficacy data for currently available and emerging novel agents that target each
• Summarize practice considerations for PNH therapies that are either approved or in clinical trials, including benefits, risks of infection and complement inhibition, monitoring, and management
• Apply clinical decision-making approaches to challenging PNH cases

Agenda

Instructions for Participation and Credit

This activity is eligible for credit through March 14, 2025. After this date, this activity will expire and no further credit will be awarded.

1. Read the target audience, learning objectives, and faculty disclosures.
2. You may be asked to complete a short pre-test before accessing the educational content. This must be completed in order to move forward in the activity.
3. Complete the educational content as designed.
4. Complete the post-test. To receive a certificate, you must receive a passing score of 70%.
5. Complete the activity evaluation survey to provide feedback and information useful for future programming.
6. Certificates for CME, CE, and CNE may be printed immediately after successfully completing the post-test and activity evaluation.

Faculty Biographies

Carlos de Castro, MD
Professor of Medicine
Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy
Department of Medicine
Duke University
Member, Duke Cancer Institute
Durham, North Carolina

Dr. Carlos de Castro is currently a Professor of Medicine at Duke University in the Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, and he is a member of the Duke Cancer Institute. He received his undergraduate degree from Duke in Biomedical Engineering. He then attended medical school at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas where he completed a residency in Internal Medicine followed by a fellowship in Hematology-Oncology at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.

As a fellow, he studied hematopoiesis, which is how the bone marrow produces blood cells. His research project studied the role of c-kit in human hematopoiesis. His clinical research focuses on treatments for bone marrow failure conditions such as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria or PNH, aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, and acute leukemias.

Dr. de Castro has served in several roles at Duke including Medical Director of the 9100 Malignant Hematology Ward, Medical Director of the Apheresis Unit, Medical Director of the Outpatient Treatment Center, and Program Director of the Duke Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Program. He is on the NCCN panel for Myelodysplastic Disorders and serves as a member of the Medical Board of Directors for the Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation.

Bhumika Patel, MD
Associate Professor
Prisma Cancer Institute
University of South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina

Dr. Bhumika Patel is a Greenville, South Carolina native who has been in hematology and oncology practice since 2019. Dr. Patel received her medical degree from St. Matthews University School of Medicine in Grand Cayman, British West Indies, completed her residency at Prisma Health in Greenville and two fellowships at the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute in Cleveland, Ohio. She worked as a staff physician in the hematology and oncology department at the Cleveland Clinic from 2019–2022. She is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology, and Hematology.

Dr. Patel takes pride in delivering thorough and compassionate cancer care, striving to educate her patients about their disease, presenting them with all options, and empowering them to take an active role in their health in a family-oriented way. While proficient in all aspects of hematology, she has special interests in idiopathic cytopenia of undetermined significance, clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate significance, clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance, aplastic anemia, PNH, telomere biology disorders, T-LGL, PRCA, MDS, MPN, acute leukemias, lymphomas and myeloma.

Accreditation

	CME CREDIT MediCom Worldwide, Inc. is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. MediCom Worldwide, Inc. designates this enduring material for a maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
	NURSING CREDIT MediCom Worldwide, Inc.is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP11380. MediCom designates this CNE activity for 1.0 contact hour. Program Number: 24-013-169

Disclosure

As an organization accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and California State Board of Registered Nursing, MediCom Worldwide, Inc. requires everyone who is in a position to control the content of an accredited continuing education activity to disclose all financial relationships with any ineligible company. The ACCME defines “ineligible companies” as any entity whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products by or on patients. A relevant relationship exists if a financial relationship in any amount exists between the person in control of content and an ineligible company; the financial relationship existed during the past 24 months and the content of the education is related to the products of an ineligible company with whom the person has a financial relationship. MediCom will identify mitigation strategies for all persons with relevant financial relationships who control content of the educational activity.

Faculty Disclosures

Dr. Carlos de Castro has relevant financial relationships related to advisory activities and consulting from Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Genentech, Inc., Novartis AG, and Omeros Corporation. He is on the speakers’ bureau for Alexion, Apellis, and Bristol Myers Squibb Company (relationship has ended). Dr. de Castro is on the Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Data Safety Monitoring Committee.

Dr. Bhumika Patel has relevant financial relationships related to consulting from Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Apellis Pharmaceuticals (relationship has ended), Genentech, Inc. (relationship has ended), Incyte (relationship has ended), and Novartis AG. She is on the speakers’ bureau for Alexion, Apellis (relationship has ended), BeiGene, Inc. (relationship has ended), Bristol Myers Squibb Company (relationship has ended), and Novartis AG.

All of the relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated.

Unapproved Product Use

This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the US Food and Drug Administration. The faculty have been informed of their responsibility to disclose to the audience if they will be discussing off-label or investigational uses of products or devices. ¬¬¬

Planning Committee

JJoan Meyer, RN, MHA, Executive Director; Sheri Sturgis, Strategy and Education Manager; Lillian McVey, Content Director; and Jennifer Murphy, Project Manager, planners for this educational activity, have no relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, reselling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

Peer Reviewer

Peer reviewer(s) for this educational activity have no relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, reselling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this activity, please contact MediCom Worldwide, Inc. at 1-800-408-4242 or email us at [email protected]

Provided by MediCom Worldwide, Inc.
This activity is supported by an educational grant from Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

©2024 MediCom Worldwide, Inc., 4607 Library Rd., Ste. 220 #2001 · Bethel Park, PA 15102, 800-408-4242. No portion of this material may be copied or duplicated without the expressed permission of MediCom Worldwide, Inc.