Community Oncology Alliance Forms Cellular Therapy Committee, Issues Position Statement on Expanded Patient Access

COA calls for policy and payment reforms as access to life-saving cellular therapies remains limited nationwide

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, April 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) announced today that it has formed a new Cellular Therapy Committee and issued a position statement urging coordinated action to expand patient access to cellular and gene therapies, including CAR T treatments. Despite their demonstrated potential to improve remission rates and offer curative outcomes for difficult-to-treat cancers, these therapies remain out of reach for many patients due to geographic, financial, and administrative barriers.

The newly established committee – approved by the COA Board of Directors – elevates the organization’s prior task force into a formal standing committee dedicated to accelerating adoption of cellular therapies in community oncology settings. Committee members developed COA’s position statement, which outlines key reforms needed to ensure these therapies are accessible, affordable, and deliverable closer to where patients live.

- Read the COA position statement on cellular therapies and CAR T treatment.

“Advanced therapies have changed the lives of many patients, but we have also witnessed the difficulty of navigating individual payer and accrediting policies to secure access to those therapies,” Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, president of COA and a practicing breast cancer specialist in Austin, Texas, and executive vice president at Texas Oncology. “It is critical that all stakeholders work together to address barriers to these transformative cell and gene therapies for all patients.”

The COA Cellular Therapy Committee will collaborate with providers, researchers, payers, employers, policymakers, patients, caregivers, and industry professionals to break down the barriers to patient access. The committee will also focus on enabling safe, high-quality delivery of these therapies in community settings, including coordination with apheresis centers and hospital partners.

In the position statement, COA is calling on payers to institute reforms that integrate cellular therapy into standard coverage at community oncology practices. These reforms would also reduce geographical barriers by making cellular therapies more widely available, reducing travel for patients and caregivers. The statement also highlights the need to modernize outdated payment structures, streamline prior authorization requirements, and eliminate duplicative accreditation processes.

“Cellular therapies have the potential to transform cancer care, but that promise is meaningless if eligible patients cannot access them and providers are not able to deliver them,” said Christine Pfaff, RPh, MBA, COA’s director of clinical support. “Barriers like inconsistent payer policies, limited provider availability, and high costs are delaying or preventing treatment. Every stakeholder in the health care chain must work together to address these issues to ensure that patients have access.”

The members of the COA Cellular Therapy Committee include:

- Sibel Blau, MD, Northwest Medical Specialties
- Kristen Boykin, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute
- Michael Byrne, DO, FACP, Tennessee Oncology; co-chair
- Jason Chandler, MD, West Clinic
- Serena Dragotta, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute
- Tara Graff, DO, Mission Cancer + Blood
- Houston Holmes, MD, Texas Oncology
- Ed Licitra, MD, PhD, Astera Health Care
- Joe Lynch, MD, Geisinger
- Aaron Lyss, MBA, OneOncology
- Dawn Marchand, RPh, Virginia Oncology Associates
- Brian Mulherin, MD, American Oncology Network
- Jana Palmer, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute
- Ameet Patel, MD, MMHC, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute; co-chair
- Adeline Ntam, RN, BSN, American Oncology Network
- Alyssa Ventrano, PMP, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute
- Ryan Gosselin, MBA, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute

COA’s position statement on cellular therapies can be found here: https://mycoa.communityoncology.org/publications/position-statements/coa-position-statement-on-cellular-therapies-and-car-t

Each COA position statement provides background and detail on a key issue affecting cancer care. These formal statements are developed and reviewed by the practicing oncology professionals who sit on the COA Board of Directors and Government Affairs and Policy Committee.

All COA Position Statements are available online at https://mycoa.communityoncology.org/education-publications/position-statements.

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About the Community Oncology Alliance (COA)
The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for community oncology practices and, most importantly, the patients they serve. COA is the only organization dedicated solely to community oncology where the majority of Americans with cancer are treated. The mission of COA is to ensure that patients with cancer receive quality, affordable, and accessible cancer care in their own communities. Learn more about COA at www.communityoncology.org.

Drew Lovejoy
Community Oncology Alliance
info@coacancer.org

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