PI-009 - ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE AND PERCEPTION OF CAR-T CELL THERAPY AMONG HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS IN SAUDI ARABIA

R. Alqurashi¹; ¹Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a potential immunotherapy for patients with recurrent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Many clinical trials suggest CAR T-cell therapies may be more effective than standard treatment. Despite the FDA approvals and promising clinical data being produced, CAR T-cell therapy is not an option for every patient and is not widely used in Saudi Arabia due to significant barriers that include concerns regarding clinical outcomes and cost-benefit analysis. This study aims to assess healthcare providers' knowledge about CAR T-cell therapy and identify the barriers to the application of CAR T-cell therapy in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: The present study is a web-based cross-sectional study directed to healthcare providers in all regions of Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire included three parts: demographic questions, knowledge of pharmacology and toxicology of CAR-T cell therapy, perception of healthcare providers on barriers to applying CAR-T cell therapy in Saudi Arabia, and recommendations on how to overcome those barriers. Descriptive statistics were obtained using SPSS.

Results: Our results showed that about 70% of the participants had good knowledge about the pharmacology and toxicology of CAR T-cell therapy. Most of the participants were Saudi pharmacists (70%) and who worked in hospitals (59%). Lack of standardized guidelines, cost-effectiveness issues, CAR T-cell therapy complications, and lack of trained staff were considered barriers, which over 60% of participants agreed on.

Conclusion: This study is the first to found that Saudi Arabian healthcare providers believe CAR T-cell therapy can treat recurrent NHL. Its greater use in Saudi Arabia is hindered by a lack of defined rules, cost-effectiveness concerns, problems, and qualified staff. Policymakers and healthcare professionals must collaborate to remove these barriers and make this potentially life-saving medication more accessible for Saudi patients. With more research and financing, CAR T-cell therapy could change cancer treatment in Saudi Arabia.