On Track for Change

Join us on Friday, October 17, 2025, in Rosemont, IL or via live stream! Click below for more information and to register.

There is no registration fee for attending this CME symposium; however, space is limited. Preregistration does not guarantee entry. We recommend arriving at the meeting room early.

Faculty

Modupe Idowu, MD
Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Director, Hematology Division
Director, UTP Comprehensive Adult Sickle Cell Center
Associate Director, UTHealth Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program
UTHealth Houston McGovern Medical School
Houston, Texas

Santosh L. Saraf, MD
Professor of Medicine
University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

India Sisler, MD
Interim Division Chief and Clinical Director
Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Vice Chair for Faculty Development
Department of Pediatrics
Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU
Richmond, Virginia

Program Overview

Join us for an engaging CME COMPETE™ activity where education meets competition! This program offers an interactive, case-based format designed to deepen clinician knowledge and application of management strategies in sickle cell disease (SCD). Participants will explore the complexities of the patient journey while evaluating evidence surrounding current and emerging therapies, including novel targeted pyruvate kinase (PK) activators. Faculty experts will facilitate discussions on guideline-directed management, treatment selection, and transitions of care, challenging attendees to apply clinical data in key decision-making areas. Through this structured competition—earning points and recognition—learners will enhance their ability to individualize therapy and optimize outcomes for patients across the continuum of SCD care.

Target Audience

The educational design of this activity addresses the needs of adult and pediatric hematologists, pediatricians, and internal/family medicine MDs, NPs, PAs, and nurses who care for patients with SCD.

Educational Objectives

After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:

• Explain the pathophysiology of SCD, burden of disease, and current unmet medical needs
• Evaluate the latest clinical evidence on novel therapies for SCD, including PK activators
• Develop personalized treatment plans that are aligned with current guidelines for optimal care in SCD, incorporating FDA-approved therapies
• Tailor management strategies for patients with SCD, including shared decision-making, patient and caregiver education, and best practices for transition of care

Agenda

Welcome, Faculty Introductions, and Brief Overview of Game Components

SCD Today—Fast Facts and Ongoing Needs

• Visual journey through SCD (a whiteboard animation)
• Symptoms in childhood and adulthood
• Standards of care and available guideline recommendations
• Unmet needs beyond pain crises

Beyond Hydroxyurea—FDA-Approved Disease Modifying Therapies

• L-glutamine
• Crizanlizumab

Gene Editing Therapies and Stem Cell Transplant—Transformative vs Curative Options

• FDA-approved gene-editing therapy
  • Biologic response, long-term durability, and safety
• Curative stem cell transplantation eligibility criteria
• Benefits and challenges of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
• Best practices and expert consensus on treatment selection and implementation

The Future of SCD Therapy? Exploring PK Activator Therapy and Other Investigational Agents

• Rationale for PK targets in SCD drug development
• Efficacy and safety of emerging small molecule PK activator therapies
• Other late-stage developments
• Future outlook for potential placement and implementation of emerging therapies

Posttest and Audience Q&A