TSJCI Annual Report 2021

Trinity St James’s Cancer Institute Annual Report 2021 13 Section 1.5 Haematology Service 1.5.1 Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy (CAR-T) CAR-T cell therapy is a class of immunotherapy for refractory haematological malignancies, it involves the manipulation a patient’s own T cells to express engineered CAR-T to target specific cancer cells. The first patient in Ireland to receive CAR-T therapy occurred in St James’s Hospital in December 2021. The patient’s T cells were collected by apheresis and sent for manufacture to a lab in France. The patient was admitted to Denis Burkitt Unit and received the CAR-T cells on 13 December 2021. Twenty-two Irish patients received CAR-T therapy in the UK during 2021, while waiting for this treatment to be approved in Ireland. 1.5.2 Key Developments during 2021 • Appointment of Dr Larry Bacon as Lead Consultant National CAR-T cell programme. • Elizabeth Higgins appointed CAR-T Cell Coordinator • Dr Eibhlin Conneally was appointed as Joint National Clinical Lead for Haemato-oncology. • Dr Catherine Flynn appointed as Stem Cell Transplant Programme Lead. • Introduction of National CAR-T cell programme with the first patient treated on Denis Burkitt ward in December 2021. This was a very significant milestone for the National stem cell transplant service. • Commencement of capital works to expand Denis Burkitt ward, with four of the seven new beds planned and designed for Adolescent Young Adult (AYA) service users. • On-going preparations for Joint Accreditation Committee of the International Society for Cellular Therapy and the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (JACIE) interim audit in 2022. 1.5.3 Key Priorities for 2022 • To open seven new beds on Denis Burkitt ward, improving access for all patients and also providing a unique environment for AYA patients in specially designed four-bed AYA unit. • To achieve positive results from JACIE interim audit 2022. • On-going development of the National Adult CAR-T programme. • The appointment of the first ANP in the transplant service.