Blood 2025 is delivering an unprecedented number of registrations, a record number of international speakers, and an extraordinary level of excitement, according to co-convenors across the ANZSBT, HSANZ and THANZ programs.

This year’s event, which includes the 36th Regional Congress of the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT), features some 200 oral presentations and 400 posters – adding a new level of complexity to the programming across four days.

ANZSBT/ISBT

Co-convenor of Blood and President of the ANZSBT Dr Anastazia Keegan told the limbic that the 1,800 registrations this year represented a doubling of the number of delegates at previous meetings in Perth.

“This is going to be really big and really exciting from a number of perspectives. It’s big – we’ve literally tripled the number of transfusion sessions within the program – but also we’ve got 16 international speakers in our ANZSBT/ISBT program including scientists, nurses and medical experts. Content wise, having that diversity in the program is incredible.”

Dr Keegan said she was particularly excited that Professor Philip Spinella (US) would be headlining the ANZSBT/ISBT and THANZ Joint Symposium: Critical Care to present the unpublished results of the Chilled Platelet Study (CHIPS). (Sun, 10.30am)

“And the reason that’s extra exciting is, not only is it groundbreaking science, but it’s also in Perth – home to the only two sites outside the US that contributed to the Chilled Platelet Study. I was the CPI of that study so I’m feeling very, very proud,” she said.

She also highlighted ISBT Regional Director Europe Dr Mickey Koh who will be presenting in the HSANZ, BMTSAA, and ANZSBT/ISBT Joint Symposium: Next level cell therapy now. (Sun, 10.30am)

“Mickey has set up cellular therapy units in both Singapore and the UK, and he’s just got this great experience of the challenges faced in cellular therapies in different regions of the world.”

She said ANZSBT was usually very focused on the recipients of blood transfusions and to a lesser extent on the donors.

“Whereas ISBT does a much better job of covering the entire transfusion chain. So about a third of their program is classically about the manufacture of blood components, and that includes cellular therapies and novel blood components. It’s a whole chapter we haven’t cracked in ANZSBT previously so that’s exciting too.”

She said other highlights on the ANZSBT program included:

• Professor James Isbister presenting on the future of patient blood management (Mon, 4.30pm)
• WHO lead for transfusion Dr Yuyun Maryunimgsih presenting on global inequities in blood supply and safety (Sun, 10.30am)
• AABB/ICTM guidelines for platelet transfusion (Sun, 2.30pm) and discussion on the need for pediatric transfusion guidelines (Wed, 9am)
• Professor Jan Dickinson on implementation of RhD non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in WA (Tues, 10.30am) and Nicole Thornton, head of the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory, on developments in RhD/NIPT
• Patient advocate Molly Sherwood, Director of Research at the Allo Hope Foundation, on haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (Tues, 10.30am)

“This is the first time we’ve had a patient advocate present in our program so I’m really proud of that as well,” Dr Keegan said.

THANZ

Co-convenor Dr Dominic Pepperell, from the Fiona Stanley Hospital, is also excited about the depth of the program in thrombosis and haemostasis.

“A couple of things that are different from a normal Blood is that usually you don’t get many big study results before they’re already published. But …we managed to get two.”

He said in the THANZ Symposium, Associate Professor Vivian Chen would be presenting results from the COBRRA trial, a comparison of bleeding risk between rivaroxaban and apixaban for the treatment of acute VTE.(Mon, 9am)

He also reiterated the importance of the Chilled Platelet Study being presented in the ANZBT/ISBT and THANZ Joint Symposium.

“This was a study using cold-stored platelets up to a month old [versus standard room temperature stored platelets] during cardiothoracic surgery. So that also hasn’t been published yet and has the potential to change practice, especially in a country like Australia, where getting platelets out to the regions is difficult when they’ve got such a short shelf life.”

Dr Pepperell told the limbic that Professor Frank Leebeek from The Netherlands would be interesting in the THANZ session on Bleeding Disorders: the near future. (Tues, 8.30am)

“Von Willebrand disease is much more common than haemophilia, but it’s such a poor cousin in terms of new treatments. We’re still using agents like DDAVP or desmopressin and old style factor. Nothing’s changed really in decades.”

He said the fact that DDAVP was so cheap may have meant there wasn’t a sufficient stimulus to advance the science but he expected VWD management to go through a revolution in the next 10 years.

Dr Pepperell also said that THANZ has increased its prize portfolio this year which will be announced at the Diamond and Pearls themed Gala Dinner. (Tues, 7pm)

HSANZ

Co-convenor Dr Matt Wright told the limbic that the HSANZ program was also unusually strong this year with back to back overseas speakers on the first day.

“We have a record number of international speakers so we’re very lucky. There is a major focus on cell therapy and we’ve got CAR T lectures in myeloma, CAR T in lymphoma, and how to optimise your CAR T program all on the first day.”

A HSANZ session on Improving outcomes in Indolent B cell malignancies (Sun, 2.30pm) includes:

• Professor Matthew Davids (US) on first line treatment options in CLL
• Professor Laurie Sehn (Canada) on relapsed follicular lymphoma
• Professor Sattva Neelapu (US) on novel immunotherapy in indolent lymphomas.

“That’s pretty unusual for Blood to be able to stack a session with three international speakers. Laurie Sehn is widely agreed to be one of the absolute stars of B cell malignancies around the world. I wouldn’t miss that even if I was a general haematologist.”

Dr Wright, from the Fiona Stanley Hospital, also flagged a HSANZ session in which Professor Robin Foà (Italy) will discuss the potential for a chemotherapy free strategy in Philadelphia positive ALL. (Mon, 4.30pm)

He also highlighted some fun at the QAP Laboratory Haematology session on morphology which included prizes for the best answers to the quiz (Tues, 2.30pm) and two concurrent Great Debates – The era of stem cell transplantation for myeloma is over and Transplant is dead (or dying) in Ph positive ALL (Tues, 4.30pm).

Additional features on the program include the THANZ Workshop and HSANZ Trainee Day (both on Saturday 25 Oct) and a plethora of sponsored breakfast and lunch symposia.

Blood 2025 in combination with the 36th Regional Congress of ISBT is being held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre from 26-29 October. The limbic will be in attendance at the meeting to report some of the highlights.