JACIE session at the 18th Annual Meeting of the Francophone Society of Bone Marrow and Cellular Therapy (SFGM-TC)

21 November 2018 in Montpellier, France

Rémy Duléry outlines the key moments of the JACIE session at the 18th Annual Meeting of the Francophone Society of Bone Marrow and Cellular Therapy (SFGM-TC)

The 18th Annual Meeting of the SFGM-TC took place in Montpellier and gathered over 600 people. The meeting opened with a JACIE session. Eoin McGrath, the JACIE Operations Manager, gave a very stimulating lecture on the highlights of the seventh edition of the FACT-JACIE international standards for hematopoietic cellular therapy product collection, processing, and administration. It was very educational, but also interesting to participate in the exchange between JACIE inspectors, clinicians, scientists, biologists, nurses, data managers, and quality managers. We shared our different experiences and the same interest – to promote safety and improve the outcomes of patients receiving autologous, allogeneic stem cell transplantation, CAR T-cells or any other innovative cellular therapies. In a field that is evolving very quickly, existing standards offer a good framework. But, as Eoin McGrath insisted on, it must always be a “work in progress”. At the end of the lecture, the audience was invited to give a feedback on the seventh edition of the FACT-JACIE and to start thinking on the improvement the 8th edition should incorporate.

Dr. Catherine Faucher, who chaired the session, launched a call to all French centres for finding volunteers who want to become JACIE inspector. We are short of inspectors in France, especially in areas such as paediatrics and cell collection. This shortage can mean that some centres must wait longer than normal to receive their on-site visit. Becoming an inspector is a wonderful way to contribute to maintaining optimal quality standards but also to learn from the experience of the other centres.

Prof. Jacques-Olivier Bay, President of the SFGM-TC, insisted on the importance of giving a new dynamic to the French JACIE committee, especially in the era of CAR T-cell therapy. I had the honour to take the lead of the committee with Dr. Nathalie Contentin, from Henri-Becquerel centre in Rouen. During the session, 13 people already joined the committee, gathered with one goal – to improve the quality of patient care.