ASH Clinical News ACN_4.13_full issue_Web | Page 20

ASH Directions ASH Launches New Sickle Cell Disease Clinical Trials Network ASH has announced the launch of a clinical trials network in sickle cell disease (SCD) to help accelerate the development of new treatments for this long-neglected and life- threatening disorder. To reduce barriers preventing the successful conduct of clinical trials in SCD, it will match clinical trial sponsors with research sites, facilitate patient recruitment, advise on optimal trial design, and ensure a coordinated approach at sites across the network. In September, ASH joined with 24 partner organizations to publish a report card on the state of SCD in 2018, the latest follow-up on a 2016 call to action to change the status quo on SCD. The results of the State of Sickle Cell Disease: 2018 Report Card indicate that progress has been made in improving care for patients with SCD, including the expansion of nationwide training programs for providers and the passage of legislation enhancing patient access to quality care. However, the development of new therapies remains an unmet need. The network will also work to encourage strong relationships between the SCD community and research sites to foster patient engagement and participation. Individu- als living with the disease will serve on the clinical trials network’s committees, and patients’ involvement will be integral in efforts to improve trial design, enrollment, and execution. Please visit hematology.org/SCD to learn more about ASH’s SCD activities. Nancy Berliner Named Next Editor-in-Chief of Blood The American Society of Hematology (ASH) has selected Nancy Berliner, MD, as the next Editor-in-Chief of its journal Blood. Her five-year term will begin in January 2020. Over the past six years, Dr. Berliner has served as deputy editor of Blood, working alongside current Editor-in-Chief Bob Löwenberg, MD, PhD. Under the leadership of Drs. Löwenberg and Berliner, the journal has introduced several new editorial features, increased its impact factor to 15.132, and solidified its position as the most-cited journal in hematology. Dr. Berliner hopes to build on these successes, emphasizing her desire to increase the geographic diversity of the editorial board and create dynamic content for online features. “I thank both Drs. Löwenberg and Berliner for bringing the journal to new heights during the last six years,” said ASH President Alexis A. Thompson, MD, MPH. “I look forward to Dr. Berliner continuing Blood’s tradition of excellence as she executes her vision as Editor-in-Chief.” Dr. Berliner received her medical degree from Yale University School of Medicine and completed her residency and fellowship in hematology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where she was the first woman to serve as medical chief resident. She has led the hospital’s hematology division since 2007 and serves as the Franklin Bunn Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. “The editorial team of Blood applies the highest possible standards to ensure all papers are definitive, novel, and important to the field,” said Dr. Berliner. “As editor-in- chief, I will continue to uphold the quality of our journal so that authors remain eager to submit their best work.” To read the latest from Blood, please visit bloodjournal.org. 18 ASH Clinical News ASH Run/Walk participants off to the races! Register for the ASH Foundation Run/Walk in San Diego! Join fellow ASH annual meeting attendees for an event that’s sure to get your blood pumping! Participate individually or as a team in the ASH Foundation Run/Walk on Sunday, December 2, during the 60th ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition in San Diego. The course will start and finish at the Embarcadero Marina Park South, allowing participants to enjoy San Diego’s beautiful waterfront before attending Sunday sessions. Proceeds from all registration fees and individual donations will benefit the ASH Sickle Cell Disease Initiative Fund. Please visit hematology.org/runwalk to learn more. Space is limited to the first 1,300 registrants, so register now! ASH Multiple Myeloma Research Registry Highlighted at Biden Cancer Summit Ahead of the Biden Cancer Summit in September, ASH and the Biden Cancer Initiative provided an update on their shared com- mitment to doubling the rate of progress against cancer. As a part of its research registry project, ASH has committed to incorporating multiple myeloma data from at least two partners by December and plans to invest nearly $20 million in the project over the first five years. Data set acquisition from additional partners is expected to continue through 2019. Inspired by the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative, launched by Vice President Joe Biden to increase the number of cancer studies and their global impact, ASH initiated a research registry in 2017 to harness big data to conquer blood diseases worldwide. The registry is intended to accelerate the pace of research, increase the number of new projects, and decrease the time and cost required for research. With pilot programs in multiple myeloma and sickle cell disease, the registry will expand over time to address the broader landscape of hematologic diseases. Visit hematology.org/registry to learn more about the ASH research registry. Blood Online Latin America Goes Live With the launch this fall of Blood Online Latin America, the most cited peer-reviewed publication in hematology will extend its global reach even further, allowing Spanish and Portuguese speakers to easily access Blood content. To provide better service to hematologists from the region, a team of Latin American editors will select content from Blood to be featured and provide original commentary in both languages. Register to access this content for free at bloodonline.com/la. ● November 2018