I was nominated to be on the EHA Ballot in 2000 and to my surprise and happiness, I was elected as Councilor. I became President-elect in 2003 and was the EHA President 2005-2007.

Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) are a game changer for improving the lives of patients with severe to life-threatening diseases. Yet, despite fast-paced innovation in the field, few ATMPs have reached the EU market and benefited patients. The challenges facing their adoption by health systems are complex. A test case is the uptake of CAR T-cell therapy; what are the hurdles and what action is needed from stakeholders?

While health policy remains the primary responsibility of Member States, in many areas the added value of EU-level collaboration and harmonization has increased. EU initiatives in health have shown a mixed record in terms of impact, but hopes are high for the latest one, the ambitious Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.

Can you tell us what you do for EHA and when you started? I am currently a Councilor of the EHA Board for the period 2016-2020, chair of the EHA Membership…

EHA-SWG Scientific Meeting on Systemic Risk of Thrombosis or Bleeding

November 22-24, 2019 |Madrid, Spain

For the second time the European Hematology Association (EHA) and the EHA Scientific Working Group on Red Cell and Iron joined in the organization of the meeting focused on Red…

Clinical trials and drug development have become more complex over the years. One complicating factor is the increased administrative burden, as was pointed out in the previous edition of HemAffairs. Doctors and clinical researchers are more and more bound to rules they deem neither necessary nor effective. At first sight, the requirements for clinical trials seem clear and thorough. Nonetheless, the interpretation and implementation of these rules leave room for improvement.

Blood, tissues and cells (BTC) are used in medicine and in hematology on a daily basis. EU legislation has been in place for over 15 years to regulate those practices, and to ensure safety and quality standards for substances of human origin (SoHO). For instance, through technical and traceability requirements for BTC, the reporting of serious adverse reactions (SARs), and verification procedures for imported BTC.

To solicit input from a wide range of non-ICH members about the revision of ICH E8(R1), ICH held a Public Meeting on ICH E8(R1) “General Considerations for Clinical Studies” (Silver Spring, USA, October 31, 2019).

The second scientific meeting on EHA-SWG Scientific Meeting on Granulocytes and Constitutional Marrow Failure Disorders and Leukemia Predisposing Genes was held on October 10-12, 2019 in Prague, Czech Republic.

On Friday, October 11^th the European Hematology Association (EHA) co-organized with the national societies from the Balkan countries for the first joint Balkan Hematology Day. The meeting focused on lymphoid malignancies and CAR-T and the topics acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia and CAR-T cells presented by international faculty and local clinical case presenters, resulted in a strong program with valuable messages.

The 3^rd joint Hematology Tutorial with the Armenian Hematology Association was held in October 2019, focusing this time on Lymphoid Malignancies. The meeting covered both biological and clinical aspects, giving participants the knowledge to better identify symptoms, make proper classifications and follow appropriate treatment options for each stage and age group.

The first edition of the Highlights of Past EHA (HOPE) meeting in Latin America (LA) was held on October 4-5, 2019 in Mendoza, Argentina. The meeting concluded the biennial congress of the Sociedad Argentina de Hematología (SAH), HOPE LA’s main partner this year.