STATEMENT OF NEED

Cold agglutinin disease (CAD) is a rare subtype of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) in which antibodies cause hemolysis at cold temperatures, generally between 37º to 39º Fahrenheit. Approximately 1 in a million people are affected by CAD annually, with onset usually occurring between the ages of 40 and 80 years. Individuals commonly experience fatigue, dizziness, palpitations, and shortness of breath caused by the anemia; jaundice caused by degradation of hemoglobin into bilirubin; and sweating, coldness, or painful discoloration of their fingers, toes, ankles, and wrists triggered by exposure to cold (NORD, 2020). While progress has been made in recent years in understanding the pathogenesis of CAD, consensus recommendations based on randomized trials are needed for improving treatment outcomes and reducing symptom burden (Berentsen, 2021). In this Hematology/Oncology Fellows Lecture Series chaired by Catherine Broome, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine, faculty will provide expert perspectives on optimizing the diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care of CAD. 

TARGET AUDIENCE

Hematology fellows, attending faculty, and other health care professionals involved in the treatment of patients with cold agglutinin disease (CAD).

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Evaluate the clinical and laboratory features of CAD that can inform timely and accurate diagnosis
• Discuss the pathophysiology of CAD and the scientific rationale for targeting the classical complement pathway
• Appraise the efficacy and safety of novel complement inhibitors for CAD as elucidated by recent studies
• Assess strategies for managing anemia, cold-induced circulatory symptoms, and treatment-related adverse events to optimize the clinical outcomes of patients with CAD

 REGISTRATION

JOINTLY ACCREDITED PROVIDER

In support of improving patient care, i3 Health is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physicians

i3 Health designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 1.0 Medical Knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

By providing this information, participants are agreeing to allow i3 Health to share this information with the ACCME.

Physician Assistants

American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) accepts certificates of participation for educational activities approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by ACCME. Physician assistants may receive a maximum of 1.0 hour of Category 1 credit for completing this program.

Nurse Practitioners

The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP) accepts AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by the ACCME. Individuals are responsible for checking with the AANPCP for further guidelines.

DISCLOSURE OF RELEVANT FINANCIAL INFORMATION WITH INELIGIBLE COMPANIES

i3 Health endorses the standards of the ACCME that require everyone in a position to control the content of a CME activity to disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies that are related to the content of the CME activity. CME activities must be balanced, independent of commercial bias, and promote improvements or quality in health care. All recommendations involving clinical medicine must be based on evidence accepted within the medical profession.

A conflict of interest is created when an individual has an opportunity to affect CME content about products or services of an ineligible company with which he/she has a financial relationship, which therefore may bias their opinions and teaching. This may include receiving a salary, royalty, intellectual property rights, consulting fee, honoraria, stocks, or other financial benefits.

i3 Health will identify, review, and mitigate all relevant financial relationships that speakers, authors, or planners disclose prior to an educational activity being delivered to learners. Disclosure of a relationship is not intended to suggest or condone bias in any presentation but is made to provide participants with information that might be of potential importance to their evaluation of a presentation. i3 Health does not endorse any products or services.

Relevant financial relationships exist between the following individuals and ineligible companies:

The i3 Health planners, reviewers, and managers have nothing to disclose.

Catherine M. Broome, MD, discloses that she has served on advisory board or panel for Alexion, Alpine, Argenx, Sanofi, and Star; that she has served on a speaker's bureau for Alexion and Sanofi; and that she has received grants/research support from Alexion, Alpine, Argenx, Novartis, Sanofi, and Star.

i3 Health has mitigated all relevant financial relationships.

INSTRUCTIONS TO RECEIVE CREDIT

In order to receive credit for this activity, participants must submit a completed evaluation at the end of the activity

TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS FOR VIRTUAL CME ACTIVITIES

For virtual (asynchronous, archived live, home study; synchronous webinars) CME/NCPD/CPE activities, include access to system requirements:

• The Internet browser(s) supported and minimum versions of each required by the learner to complete the online activity.
• The minimum memory, storage, processor, and Internet speeds require by the learner to complete the online activity.

UNAPPROVED USE DISCLOSURE

i3 Health requires CME faculty (speakers) to disclose to attendees when products or procedures being discussed are off-label, unlabeled, experimental, and/or investigational (not FDA approved), as well as any limitations on the information that is presented, such as data that are preliminary or that represent ongoing research, interim analyses, and/or unsupported opinion. Faculty may discuss information about pharmaceutical agents that is outside of U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved labeling.

This information is intended solely for continuing medical education and is not intended to promote off-label use of these medications. If you have questions, contact the medical affairs department of the manufacturer for the most recent prescribing information.

DISCLAIMER

The information provided at this CME activity is for continuing education purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the independent medical/clinical judgment of a health care provider relative to diagnostic and treatment options of a specific patient’s medical condition.

COMMERCIAL SUPPORT

This activity is supported by an independent educational grant from Sanofi.

Aggregate participant data will be shared with commercial supporters of this activity.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Technical queries or questions regarding activity credit should be directed to i3 Health at support@i3health.com.