# The French Experience of Pharmacists and CAR T‐Cells: A Study of the French Society of Oncology Pharmacy (SFPO)

## TL;DR

This study examines how French hospitals improved the time from blood collection to CAR T-cell infusion, highlighting the role of pharmacists in optimizing treatment processes.

## Contribution

The study provides insights into improving vein-to-vein time for CAR T-cell therapy in France through pharmacist involvement and process optimization.

## Key findings

- Median vein-to-vein time was reduced by 4 days through improved apheresis to release intervals.
- French centers achieved a 36-day median vein-to-vein time, longer than in countries with closer manufacturing sites.
- Top recruiting centers had the shortest vein-to-vein times, suggesting best practices for other European centers.

## Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe the initial 3‐year experience in vein‐to‐vein time for axi‐cel therapy and the role of pharmacists in the first recruiting French centers. Retrospective observational data were collected for vein‐to‐vein time for commercial axi‐cel after ≥ 2 lines of systemic therapy between January 2019 and December 2021 in the first 12 authorized French centers. Hospital pharmacists used a circuit database to ensure the prospective traceability at all steps. Totally 501 of the 562 intention‐to‐treat registrations on the database for cytapheresis (89,1%) led to the infusion of axi‐cel. Median vein‐to‐vein time was shortened by 4 days. This was mainly due to tightening the interval from apheresis to release. The 36‐day median vein‐to‐vein time achieved after 3 years' experience should be compared to the 29–34 days reported in Canada, the USA and Israel, where manufacturing sites are geographically closer to hospital centers than they are in France. The top 5 recruiting centers had the shortest vein‐to‐vein times. This French experience may serve as a model for other European centers, notably as regards deployment of pharmacists to improve the patient pathway with CAR T‐cells and other gene and cellular therapies.