Increasing Access to IO: A Global Webinar Series

Series Overview

The Global Access and Impact Committee, in collaboration with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, is pleased to launch SITC’s first educational program crafted specifically for international audiences, titled “Increasing Access to IO: A Global Webinar Series”.

These free digital events will provide a forum for physicians around the globe to discuss challenges and solutions related to critical topics in the field of IO, such as defining biomarkers for PD-L1 positive patients, biomarker assessment for tumor response, cellular therapy and checkpoint inhibitor administration, tumor mutational burden (TMB) and more. Featuring doctors from varying settings around the world, this webinar series offers a unique opportunity to learn about different solutions to immunotherapy application and the barriers currently impeding equitable access to IO. To promote an open discussion between the faculty and attendees, the six webinars will each feature a Q&A session at the end of the program.

All webinars will take place live and be made available in their entirety on the SITC ConnectED platform as enduring materials. This series is crafted for a wide variety of stakeholders ranging from clinicians, patients, nurses, industry, and regulators around the globe. All are welcome, especially those with an interest in immunotherapy and equitable access to care for all. 

Goals and Objectives

The objective of this webinar series is to create a platform for international stakeholders to discuss critical topics and challenges they face when treating patients with immunotherapy, with a key goal of providing education and bringing awareness to the barriers currently impeding equitable access to IO around the globe. 

Program Organizers

Ghassan Abou-Alfa, MD, MBA

Ghassan Abou-Alfa, MD, MBA
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Jyoti Bajpai, MD, DM

Jyoti Bajpai, MD, DM
Apollo Hospital Navi Mumbai and Maharashtr

Ahmad A. Tarhini, MD, PhD

Ahmad A. Tarhini, MD, PhD
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute

Nora Sobrevilla-Moreno, MD
Instituto Nacional de Cancerología

Browse Webinars

Webinar 1

The Current Landscape of IO Access: Increasing Access to IO

Date of Live Event                          

June 5, 2024 - 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. EDT

View on Demand

Ghassan Abou-Alfa, MD, MBA

Moderator

Ghassan Abou-Alfa, MD, MBA
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Sharif Folorunso, MBChB, FMRC, MSC

Faculty

Sharif Folorunso, MD
Obafemi Awolo University Teaching Hospitals Complex

Ahmad A. Tarhini, MD, PhD

Faculty

Ahmad A. Tarhini, MD, PhD
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute

Kate Young, MBBS, MRCP, MD

Faculty

Kate Young, MBBS, MA, MRCP, MD
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

This webinar will review effective strategies for cancer immunotherapy administration by providing a glance at IO access across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Nigeria. It will feature presentations on different models of access, the challenges related to increasing access to immunotherapy, and will explore potential solutions that can be translated into local practice and health care systems around the world. In addition, this webinar will serve as an opportunity for speakers and attendees to discuss the importance of guideline development, alternative strategies for ICIs, predictive biomarkers, and how these topics play a role in expanding access to immunotherapy treatment.

Webinar 2

Cell Therapy Administration: Increasing Access to IO

Date of Live Event

July 10, 2024 - 8:30–10 a.m. EDT 

 View On Demand 

Ghassan Abou-Alfa, MD, MBA

Moderator

Ghassan Abou-Alfa, MD, MBA
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Faculty

Fidel David Huitzil Meléndez, MD
Centro Médico ABC

Ashraf Omar, MD, MSc

Faculty

Ashraf Omar, MD, MSc
Cairo University

Bhawna Sirohi, MBBS, FRCP

Faculty

Bhawna Sirohi, MBBS, FRCP
BALCO Medical Centre

This webinar will examine how cell therapies are being utilized around the globe and in resource limited settings. It will feature physicians from India, Mexico, and Egypt to discuss their experience in evaluating cell therapies as a treatment option as well as how they overcame challenges related to manufacturing, access, regulation, and toxicity management.

Webinar 3

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Increasing Access to IO

Date of Live Event

August 15, 2024 - 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. EDT 

 View On Demand 

Ahmad A. Tarhini, MD, PhD

Moderator

Ahmad A. Tarhini, MD, PhD
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute

Frederico Perego Costa, MD

Faculty

Frederico Perego Costa, MD
Autem Therapeutics, Centro de Oncologia of Hospital Sirio Libanês

Precious Takondwa Makondi, MBBS, PhD

Faculty

Precious Takondwa Makondi, MBBS, PhD
Kamuzu Central Hospital - National Cancer Center

Ali Shamseddine, MD

Faculty

Ali Shamseddine, MD
American University of Beirut Medical Center

This webinar will examine how immune checkpoint inhibitors are being utilized around the globe and in resource limited settings. It will provide a forum for physicians from Brazil, Lebanon, and Malawi to discuss their experience in evaluating checkpoint inhibitors as a treatment option as well as how they overcame challenges related to manufacturing, access, regulation, and toxicity management.

Webinar 4

Rare and Challenging Cases: Increasing Access to IO

Date of Live Event

Sept. 26, 2024 - 9–10:30 a.m. EDT 

 Register Webinar 4 Flyer

Layal Al Mahmasani, MD

Moderator

Layal Al Mahmasani, MD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Jyoti Bajpai, MD, DM

Faculty

Jyoti Bajpai, MD, DM
Apollo Hospital Navi Mumbai and Maharashtra

James Harding, MD

Faculty

James Harding, MD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Kymberly Watt, MD

Faculty

Kymberly Watt, MD
Mayo Clinic

This webinar will examine how rare and challenging cases, such as extremes of age, immunocompromised, autoimmune conditions, co-morbidities, pregnancy, and transplant cases impact immunotherapy treatment around the globe and in resource limited settings. It will feature physicians from the United States and India to discuss their experience and knowledge overcoming specific challenges related to treating rare cases in IO.

Webinar 5

Monitoring Response to Immunotherapy (iRECIST): Increasing Access to IO

Date of Live Event

Oct. 16, 2024 - 12–1:30 p.m. EDT 

 Register for Webinar 5

Bachir Taouli, MD, MS

Moderator

Bachir Taouli, MD, MS
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Laurent Dercle, MD, PhD

Faculty

Laurent Dercle, MD, PhD
Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Viktoriya Paroder, MD, PhD

Faculty

Viktoriya Paroder, MD, PhD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

This webinar will examine the importance of assessing tumor response to immunotherapy with currently available tools, primarily iRECIST, and how they compare to RECIST and WHO criteria. The program will feature discussions from leading scientists and radiologists in the field of IO on how feasible these tools are in a clinical setting outside of a clinical trial and most importantly, in resource limited settings.

Webinar 6

Tumor Biomarkers and Assessing PD-L1: Increasing Access to IO

Date of Live Event

Nov. 21, 2024 - 8:30–10 a.m. EST 

 Register for Webinar 6

Paolo Ascierto, MD

Moderator

Paolo Ascierto, MD
Instituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale

Jyoti Bajpai, MD, DM

Faculty

Jyoti Bajpai, MD, DM
Apollo Hospital Navi Mumbai and Maharashtra

Danny Khalil, MD, PhD

Faculty

Danny Khalil, MD, PhD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Taha Merghoub, PhD

Faculty

Taha Merghoub, PhD
Weill Cornell Medicine

This webinar will examine how biomarkers are used to define “PD-L1” positive patients around the globe and in resource limited settings. It will provide a forum for physicians to discuss their experience assessing different criteria, as well as the solutions that were implemented to overcome specific challenges. Additionally, this topic will review the global availability of different platforms/clones and tumor mutational burden (TMB).