FACT and JACIE Remained Committed to Publishing the Eighth Edition Hematopoietic Cellular Therapy Standards Despite Worldwide Pandemic
As an international Standards Committee, the FACT-JACIE Hematopoietic Cellular Therapy (HCT) Standards Committee is accustomed to remote collaboration. Its ability to work primarily online was brought to the test during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and the committee rose to the challenge! The eighth edition FACT-JACIE International Standards for Hematopoietic Cellular Therapy Product Collection, Processing, and Administration and its accompanying Accreditation Manual were published on May 17, 2021.
“Even with the challenges of a pandemic combined with very rapid advances in the field, amiable dedicated colleagues allowed successful completion of the task,” says Dr. Paul Eldridge, Chair of the Standards Committee. “I want to express my thanks and gratitude to everyone.”
Dr. Kim Orchard, Co-Chair of the Clinical Standards Subcommittee, adds, “The preparations for the eighth edition of the Standards proceeded with only minimal delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Credit is due to all those involved who continued to review and prepare the Standards despite the impact on their work and personal lives.”
“It was a challenge to continue with everything during the pandemic,” according to Dr. Nina Worel, Co-Chair of the Collection Standards Subcommittee. “Not so much with the FACT-JACIE team working on the eighth edition as the time schedule is perfect. We are used to working remotely and the meetings always close on time, but this time there were a lot of other additional meetings that were remote.”
“We managed to have the second face-to-face meeting of the combined FACT and JACIE teams just before the full impact of the first wave occurred, and all subsequent meetings were held by remote means which were already planned,” says Dr. Orchard. “Credit is due to all those involved who continued to review and prepare the Standards despite the impact on their work and personal lives.”
The objective of the FACT-JACIE Standards is to promote quality medical and laboratory practice in hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation and therapies using hematopoietic derived cellular products. FACT-JACIE Standards are unique in depth and breadth, being applicable to all phases of cell collection, processing, storage, transportation, and administration, and to all phases of clinical application including standard of care therapies and products, products administered under regulatory-approved clinical trials, and licensed (or other regulatory approval) products.
The scope of the Standards includes hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), nucleated cells or mononuclear cells from any hematopoietic tissue source collected for therapeutic use other than as HPCs, immune effector cells (IECs), and genetically modified cells.
The HCT Standards Committee consists of 64 expert members among a Steering Committee and five subcommittees that reviewed clinical, collection, processing, quality, and immune effector cell (IEC) requirements. These members reside in 14 countries, contributing a truly international perspective to the Standards.
Following months of initial reviews and revisions, the HCT Standards Committee considered approximately 770 comments, submitted by 78 participants from 20 countries, during the public comment period. Additionally, other experts from FACT and JACIE participated in discussions related to new developments in the field, including Dr. John Snowden, member of the JACIE Committee and secretary of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), the FACT Immune Effector Cell Task Force, and others. These experts provided the HCT Standards Committee advice to consider when finalizing the Standards, with revisions ultimately drafted by the Standards Committee and approval granted by the FACT and EBMT Boards of Directors.
“It was really exhausting [with the other remote meetings]. However, we managed to finalize a great new edition of Standards for best quality in cellular therapy for our patients,” says Dr. Worel.
“It was a pleasure to work with committee members on the new edition of standards,” says Dr. Eldridge. “The opportunity to learn from such a diverse group of international experts is amazing.”
The eighth edition Standards become effective on August 16, 2021. All organizations accredited under these Standards are expected to be in compliance with the requirements by that date. Although there may be a few inspections remaining to be completed under the previous edition due to COVID 19-related delays, all other inspections scheduled after this date will be under the eighth edition.
Review the Summary of Changes for the eighth edition FACT-JACIE Standards
Download the eighth edition FACT-JACIE Standards for free
Download the eighth edition Hematopoietic Cellular Therapy Accreditation Manual for free
Purchase printed copies of the eighth edition FACT-JACIE Standards
Purchase printed copies of the eighth edition Hematopoietic Cellular Therapy Accreditation Manual
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