VJHemOnc Podcast

Addressing unmet needs in myeloma: early detection, frail/elderly patients, triple-class exposed disease, & more!

In recognition of Myeloma Awareness Month 2025, this podcast explores key unmet needs and unanswered questions in myeloma research and patient care, offering insights and strategies for healthcare professionals to address them. The discussion centers on four topics: the treatment of smoldering myeloma, managing frail and elderly patients, challenges in triple-class refractory disease, and racial disparities in myeloma care.

Featuring experts Karthik Ramasamy, MBBS, MRCP, FRCPath, PhD, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK, Tarek Mouhieddine, MD, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York City, NY, Mateo Mejia Saldarriaga, MD, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, Mohamad Mohty, MD, PhD, Saint-Antoine Hospital, Paris, France, Joseph Mikhael, MD, MeD, FRCPC, FACP, Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), Phoenix, AZ, & International Myeloma Foundation, Studio City, CA, Ola Landgren, MD, PhD, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center & University of Miami, Miami, FL, P. Joy Ho, MBBS, DPhil, FRACP, FRCPA, FFSc(RCPA), Royal Prince Alfred Hospital & University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia, Enrique Ocio, MD, PhD, Marquis of Valdecilla University Hospital, Santander, Spain, and Joselle Cook, MBBS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

CAR T-cell therapy in ALL: trial updates, novel approaches, & real-world outcomes

CAR T-cell therapy has become an established treatment for several hematological malignancies, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and has significantly changed the therapeutic landscape for patients. In this podcast episode, renowned experts will share insight into the use of CAR-T in ALL, including updates of pivotal trials, novel approaches being explored, and real-world outcomes.

First, you will hear from Valentín Ortiz-Maldonado, MD, Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, who shares the results of the pivotal CART19-BE-02 trial (NCT04778579), a multicenter study investigating varnimcabtagene autoleucel (var-cel) in adult patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) B-cell ALL (B-ALL). Following this, Pere Barba, MD, PhD, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain, and Jae Park, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, provide valuable insight into findings from the FELIX trial (NCT04404660), the results of which led to the FDA approval of obecabtagene autoleucel (obe-cel) for adult patients with R/R B-ALL in November 2024. Next, Ibrahim Muhsen, MD, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX, shares the findings of a retrospective analysis evaluating the efficacy and safety of brexucabtagene autoleucel (brexu-cel) in older patients with R/R B-ALL. Finally, you will hear some updates of trials assessing novel CAR-T approaches in ALL from Armin Ghobadi, MD, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, and Evandro Bezerra, MD, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH.

Post-ASH amyloidosis highlights: the ANDROMEDA trial, risk stratification, value of MRD, & more!

Today's podcast features a discussion with experts Vaishali Sanchorawala, MD, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, and Ashutosh Wechalekar, MBBS, MD, FRCP, FRCPath, DM, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, from the 66th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition. They share their key highlights in amyloidosis from the meeting, including updates from the ANDROMEDA trial (NCT03201965), the risk stratification of patients with light chain (AL) amyloidosis, the value of measurable residual disease (MRD), and potential advances with CAR T-cell therapy in this disease setting.

Post-ASH non-malignant highlights: updates in sickle cell disease, thalassemia, and hemophilia

This episode of the VJHemOnc podcast covers updates in non-malignant hematological diseases from the 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, which took place in San Diego, CA. You will hear the latest updates in sickle cell disease (SCD), thalassemia, and hemophilia from leading experts.

First, Sophia Delicou, MD, Hippokration General Hospital, Athens, Greece, will provide an update on the HIBISCUS (NCT04624659) trial of etavopivat in SCD, and Rabi Hanna, MD, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, will present updated results of the RUBY (NCT04853576) trial investigating reni-cel in severe SCD. This will be followed by an update of a trial being conducted in patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia, the ENERGIZE-T study (NCT04770779), from Maria Domenica Cappellini, MD, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. Finally, you will hear the results of the explorer7 trial (NCT04083781) in hemophilia A and B from Amy Shapiro, MD, Indiana University Hemophilia Center, Indianapolis, IN.

Post-ASH myeloma highlights: key takeaways for community physicians & trials to look out for in 2025

This podcast brings you exclusive updates on multiple myeloma from the 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, held in San Diego, CA. In this episode, experts Karthik Ramasamy, MBBS, MRCP, FRCPath, PhD, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK, Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, Alexander Lesokhin, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, Luciano Costa, MD, PhD, UAB School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, Mansi Shah, MD, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, Ola Landgren, MD, PhD, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center & University of Miami, Miami, FL, and Bruno Paiva, PhD, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, share key insights from the meeting.

The discussion covers updates on smoldering myeloma, including the practice-changing results of the AQUILA (NCT03301220) study, as well as the latest advances in bispecific antibodies for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. The experts also highlight exciting research to watch for in 2025. Finally, they provide guidance on the use of measurable residual disease (MRD) and address the ongoing challenge of treating high-risk multiple myeloma.

Post-ASH AML highlights: novel approaches to frontline therapy, advances with menin inhibitors, & managing FLT3-ITD+ AML

In this podcast, we bring you exclusive updates on acute myeloid leukemia (AML) from the 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, which took place in San Diego, CA.

You will hear insights into novel approaches to frontline chemotherapy and BCL2 inhibition from experts Ioannis Mantzaris, MD, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City, NY, Tapan Kadia, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, and Chong Chyn Chua, MBBS, FRACP, FRCPA, The Alfred Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. 

Eunice Wang, MD, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, Emma Searle, MBChB, MA, MRCP, FRCPath, PhD, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK, Joshua Zeidner, MD, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill, NC, and Amer Zeidan, MBBS, MHS, Yale University and Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, CT, will then go on to share updates on the use of menin inhibitors in relapsed/refractory (AML).

This will be followed by Mark Levis, MD, PhD, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, and Nicholas Short, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, who discuss the management of FLT3-ITD+ AML.

Post-ASH MPN highlights: key trial updates in MF, novel approaches being explored in R/R disease, & more!

This podcast episode covers key highlights in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) from the 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, which took place in San Diego, CA.

First, you will hear key trial updates in myelofibrosis (MF) from Andrew Kuykendall, MD, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, Lucia Masarova, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, and Francesco Passamonti, MD, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. Following this, Marina Kremyanskaya, MD, PhD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, will present initial results from the Phase I/II SANRECO trial (NCT05499013) evaluating divesiran in patients with polycythemia vera (PV). Firas El Chaer, MD, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, and Claire Harrison, MD, FRCP, FRCPath, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, will then give updates on trials exploring novel approaches for patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) myelofibrosis. Finally, you will hear an update on the BOREAS trial (NCT03662126) from Prithviraj Bose, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.

Post-ASH NHL highlights: novel combinations in the frontline setting and advancements with immunotherapy in the R/R setting

Today's podcast showcases key updates in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) from the 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, which took place in San Diego, CA.

First, you will hear from Gilles Salles, MD, PhD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, Catherine Diefenbach, MD, NYU Langone, New York, NY, and Jia Ruan, MD, PhD, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City, NY, who discuss novel combinations being explored in the frontline setting for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Sattva Neelapu, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, Paolo Strati, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, and Nirav Niranjan Shah, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, will then give updates on the use of CAR T-cells in the relapsed/refractory (R/R) setting for NHL, including follicular lymphoma (FL) and DLBCL. This will be followed by Catherine Diefenbach, MD, NYU Langone, New York, NY, and Taylor Brooks, MD, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, who discuss the use of bispecific antibodies, and Julio Chavez, MD, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, who shares data on CELMoDs under investigation for the treatment of FL and DLBCL.

Post-ASH MDS highlights: managing anemia in LR-MDS and novel approaches to treating HR-MDS

This podcast is the second episode in our series spotlighting key highlights from the 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, which took place in San Diego, CA. This episode focuses on updates in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). 

You will hear insights into managing anemia in lower-risk MDS (LR-MDS) from Sophie Park, MD, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France, Esther Oliva, MD, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Bianchi Melacrino Morelli, Reggio Calabria, Italy, and Uwe Platzbecker, MD, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. They share data from the EPO-Pretar trial (NCT03223961), which is investigating early versus late onset of epoetin alfa treatment, an analysis of patient-reported outcomes in the COMMANDS trial (NCT03682536), and the effect of prior therapies on the activity of imetelstat in the IMerge trial (NCT02598661).

Andrius Žučenka, MD, Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, Vilnius, Lithuania, and Marina Konopleva, MD, PhD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City, NY, then go on to discuss novel approaches to managing higher-risk MDS (HR-MDS), including an individualized allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) approach and novel non-transplant treatment approaches.

Post-ASH CLL highlights: BTK inhibitors & degraders, bispecific antibodies, & more!

VJHemOnc recently attended the 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Diego, CA, where we gained expert insights into cutting-edge research in hematological malignancies. This podcast series will cover highlights in a variety of disease areas. Today's episode focuses on chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). 

You will hear from experts Jeff Sharman, MD, Willamette Valley Cancer Institute, Eugene, OR, Jennifer Brown, MD, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, Alexey Danilov, MD, PhD, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, Nirav Niranjan Shah, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, and Chan Cheah, MBBS, FRACP, FRCPA, DMSc, Linear Clinical Research and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Australia. They discuss key updates on the use of BTK inhibitors in CLL, including the BRUIN CLL-321 (NCT04666038) and AMPLIFY (NCT03836261) trials, as well as the BTK degraders NX-2127 and NX-5948. They then go on to speak about novel approaches being explored, including treatment with the bispecific antibody epcoritamab in the EPCORE-CLL1 (NCT04623541) trial, and the use of sonrotoclax in the BGB-11417-101 (NCT04277637) trial.