About

Dr. James B. Ford is currently an associate professor at the University of Utah School of Medicine in the division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. He is a member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Team at the University of Utah and Primary Children’s Hospital. He received his medical degree from Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his residency at Akron Children’s Hospital specializing in Pediatrics. Dr. Ford pursued his Hematology, Oncology, and Bone Marrow Transplantation Fellowship at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital Colorado. He is board-certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. His clinical interests include the treatment of pediatric Leukemia and Lymphoma, with an emphasis on post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder and Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas. His primary research focuses on Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, and he is involved in clinical trials for relapsed T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma and relapsed mature B cell lymphoma. Dr. Ford has authored several articles in peer-reviewed journals and has been the principal investigator in several grants.

Research topics

• Oncology
• Internal medicine
• Medicine
• Immunology
• Biology

Selected publications

• Blinatumomab Utilization in Pediatric B‐Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Experience From the Mountain West

  Pediatric Blood & Cancer · 2026-05-08

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Blinatumomab is a bispecific T-cell engager approved for the treatment of pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Outpatient home infusion reduces hospitalization burden and optimizes resource utilization, but is logistically challenging. METHODS: Our institution developed a multidisciplinary outpatient blinatumomab protocol. The workflow included early prior authorization, home healthcare (HH) partnerships, and standardized procedures for outpatient management. Clinical and logistical data were prospectively collected from August 2024 to August 2025. RESULTS: Since initiation, 50 patients aged 1-23 years have received blinatumomab. Patients resided within five states across the Intermountain West, with distances to the treating hospital ranging from 4.8 to 640 miles (mean 109 miles). Thirty patients (60%) lived within 50 miles of the treating institution, four (8%) lived 50-100 miles away, and 16 (32%) resided more than 100 miles away. All patients were able to receive blinatumomab outpatient, with 96% of patients able to receive services locally for the majority of the infusion period. Ninety-eight percent of patients used HH for outpatient drug delivery and/or nursing care. Our workflow standardized agency responsibilities, bag change frequency, and emergency contact protocols. This model limited inpatient stays to 24-48 h for most patients, expanded access across a large geographic area, and decreased travel burden. CONCLUSIONS: Outpatient blinatumomab administration is feasible, safe, and resource-efficient when supported by a structured care coordination framework. Partnerships with HH providers, proactive insurance authorization, and standardized troubleshooting protocols are critical for success. This model has reduced costs, preserved hospital resources, and improved quality of life.

  PublisherDOI

• End-of-study results from the ICON3 pines trial, a phase 3, randomized trial of eltrombopag vs. standard first-line treatment for newly diagnosed immune thrombocytopenia in children

  Blood · 2025-11-03

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Background: The Pediatric ITP Newly diagnosed patients Eltrombopag vs Standard therapy (PINES) trial, NCT03939637, was an investigator-initiated, prospective, open label, randomized, multi-center trial sponsored by the ITP Consortium of North America (ICON) and funded by Novartis. Patients (pts) ages 1-<18 with primary ITP, ≤3 months from diagnosis, with platelet count <30 x109/L who required pharmacologic treatment per the treating clinician were randomized 2:1 to receive the experimental treatment, eltrombopag (epag), or investigator's choice of one of 3 standard first-line therapies (SOC): prednisone, IVIg, or anti-D globulin at specified doses. The primary platelet response endpoint within 12 weeks was achieved by 67% pts in the epag arm, compared with 35% pts in the SOC arm; the trial closed early for efficacy per DSMB recommendation (Shimano et al, ASH 2024). We now report secondary objectives from study completion. Methods: Pts were followed on study for 1 year. From weeks 13-52, pts randomized to epag could continue the study drug, with dosage weans per protocol. Pts in the SOC arm who had persistent ITP and those in the epag arm who had not responded could receive second-line therapies after week 12. Platelet counts were measured at 6 months and 1 year, as well as at monthly intervals for those remaining on epag. Complete response (CR) at 1 year was defined as platelet count ≥150 x109/L. Disease resolution at 1 year was defined as CR ≥3 months after discontinuing most recent platelet active medication, without having received rituximab or splenectomy. Pts were evaluable for secondary objectives if they received at least one dose of protocol therapy. Analyses were performed a) within the subgroup with known data at 1 year, and b) with last-observation-carried-forward (LOCF) to address missing data. Results: 78 pts were randomized to epag and 40 to SOC therapy. 12 pts came off study early due to withdrawal of consent (4), lost to follow-up (6), or other (2). Median duration of therapy in the epag arm was 111 days (range 7-390). 27 (35%) pts in the epag arm vs 22 (56%) in the SOC arm did not require any treatment after week 12, p=0.02, and 43 (55%) vs 25 (64%) did not require any treatment after 6 months, p=0.35. The most commonly used subsequent agents were romiplostim, rituximab, and mycophenolate mofetil in pts randomized to epag, and epag and romiplostim for pts randomized to SOC. 106 pts completed the full 1-year study (73 [94%] for epag; 33 [83%] for SOC).18 pts (25%) in the epag arm remained on study drug at 1 year. 24/73 (33%) pts in the epag arm vs 11/33 (33%) pts in the SOC arm remained on platelet active medication at 1 year. Disease resolution by 1 year occurred in 50 (47%) pts overall, and in 33 (45%) epag pts vs 17 (52%) SOC pts, p=0.55, with similar results for CR and for LOCF analyses. Disease resolution at 1 year was no different among age groups [15/28 (54%) epag arm vs 7/11 (64%) SOC ages 1-<6; 11/26 (42%) vs 5/12 (42%) ages 6-<12; and 7/19 (37%) vs 5/10 (50%) ages 12-<18]. Disease resolution at 1 year occurred in 16/26 (62%) epag vs 10/13 (77%) SOC treatment-naïve pts who enrolled on the trial as upfront therapy. 33 (45%) pts in epag arm vs 15 (45%) in SOC arm had “primary remission,” defined as CR at 1 year with no second-line agents and ≥3 months after discontinuing most recent platelet active medication. 8 (11%) in epag arm vs 3 (9%) in SOC arm had “disease stability,” defined as platelets between 50-150 x109/L and were ≥3 months after discontinuing most recent platelet active medication. Sustained response off treatment (SROT, inclusive of those with disease resolution or disease stability) occurred in 41 (56%) in epag arm vs 20 (61%) in SOC. There were 14 adverse events (AEs) (including 4 serious AEs) during weeks 13-52 in 9 pts (6 epag, 3 SOC). Conclusions: In this population of pediatric pts with newly diagnosed ITP, 47% overall had disease resolution by 1 year, with no difference between treatment arms in 1-year response rates. SROT at 12 months was 56% in epag and 61% in SOC. Many pts on the epag arm were able to discontinue medication quickly, within a median of 4 months. Given these findings and the improved sustained platelet response to epag compared to SOC during weeks 6-12, epag should be considered for upfront and early use in pediatric pts with newly diagnosed ITP who require pharmacologic treatment in order to obtain a more stable platelet count.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Posttransplant EBV‐Positive Smooth Muscle Tumors in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults: A Multi‐Institution Experience

  Pediatric Blood & Cancer · 2025-03-22 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive smooth muscle tumors (SMTs) are rare tumors seen in immunocompromised patients. There is no clear standard of care for the management and treatment of EBV-SMTs. Patients are often treated with chemotherapy, surgery, and/or radiation. Additional options include antiretroviral treatment, reduction in immunosuppression, and EBV-directed virus-specific T cells (VSTs). This report describes the treatment regimens and outcomes of eight patients with EBV-associated SMTs. Although no consensus treatment for EBV-SMTs has been identified, VSTs show promise in providing a period of stable disease or partial response and surgical removal may offer long-term benefits in cases of localized disease.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Eltrombopag for Newly Diagnosed Pediatric Immune Thrombocytopenia Requiring Treatment

  JAMA · 2025-10-22

  articleOpen access

  Importance: Eltrombopag, a thrombopoietin receptor agonist, is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for children with chronic immune thrombocytopenia. Efficacy of eltrombopag during the newly diagnosed phase of pediatric immune thrombocytopenia is unknown. Objective: To determine if the proportion of patients with a platelet response is significantly greater in patients with newly diagnosed immune thrombocytopenia treated with eltrombopag than in those treated with standard therapy (first-line treatments). Design, Setting, and Participants: This phase 3, randomized clinical trial enrolled patients (aged 1-<18 years) with newly diagnosed primary immune thrombocytopenia (platelet count <30 × 109/L who required pharmacological treatment but did not have severe bleeding or need a rapid increase in platelet count) from May 7, 2019, to January 25, 2024, at 23 centers participating in the Pediatric ITP Consortium of North America. Final follow-up occurred on February 26, 2025. Interventions: Eltrombopag was administered orally based on a standard dosing schedule (n = 78) vs standard therapy (investigator choice of glucocorticoids, intravenous immunoglobulin, or anti-D immunoglobulin) (n = 40). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was a sustained platelet response defined as 3 or more of 4 platelet counts greater than 50 × 109/L during weeks 6 to 12 without rescue treatment. The secondary outcomes included bleeding scores, change in health-related quality of life, and serious adverse events. Results: Of 118 pediatric patients (median age, 8 years [IQR, 4-12 years]; 49% were male), 63% experienced an initial treatment failure after observation or medical therapy. Enrollment ended after a planned interim analysis met a prespecified threshold for efficacy. Of 71 patients in the eltrombopag group, 46 (65% [95% CI, 54%-76%]) had a sustained platelet response compared with 13 of 37 patients (35% [95% CI, 20%-51%]) in the standard therapy group (between-group difference, 30% [95% CI, 11%-49%]; P = .002), which crossed the monitoring boundary for efficacy. Overall, there was no between-group difference in the number and type of adverse events. Conclusions and Relevance: In pediatric patients with newly diagnosed immune thrombocytopenia requiring pharmacological treatment, eltrombopag resulted in a higher rate of sustained platelet response compared with standard therapy. Eltrombopag may be an effective option for pediatric patients with newly diagnosed immune thrombocytopenia with nonsevere bleeding who warrant medical intervention. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03939637.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Delayed onset of acute generalised exanthematous pustulosis following phenytoin administration

  Indian Journal of Dermatology Venereology and Leprology · 2025-11-26 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Efficacy Findings in a Phase 3, Randomized Trial of Eltrombopag Vs. Standard First-Line Treatment for Newly Diagnosed Immune Thrombocytopenia in Children

  Blood · 2024-11-05

  article

  Background: First-line treatments for patients (pts) with newly diagnosed immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) include corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), and anti-D globulin. Eltrombopag (epag), a thrombopoietin receptor agonist, was FDA approved for children with chronic ITP in 2015. The efficacy of epag in the newly diagnosed phase of pediatric ITP is unknown. Methods: The Pediatric ITP Newly diagnosed pts Epag vs Standard therapy (PINES) trial, NCT03939637, is an investigator-initiated, prospective, open label, randomized, multi-center trial sponsored by the ITP Consortium of North America (ICON) and funded by Novartis. Pts ages 1-&amp;lt;18 with primary ITP, ≤3 months from diagnosis, with platelet count &amp;lt;30 x109/L who required pharmacologic treatment per the treating clinician were randomized 2:1, stratified by age and prior treatment status, to receive the experimental treatment, epag, or investigator's choice of one of 3 standard first-line therapies (SOC): prednisone, IVIg, or anti-D globulin at specified doses. The primary endpoint of ‘response’ was ≥3 of 4 platelet counts &amp;gt;50 x109/L during weeks 6-12 without rescue treatment. This intent-to-treat analysis includes data from all randomized pts for the first 12 weeks of the study. Secondary endpoint analyses include data from all evaluable pts who received at least 1 dose of assigned treatment. TheWHO Bleeding Scale and Modified Buchanan Scale (MBS) were used to assess bleeding severity. The parent-proxy reported KIDS ITP Tool (KIT) scores were used to measure health-related quality-of-life (QoL). A one-sided z-test, at alpha=0.025, tested the superiority of epag vs SOC for the primary endpoint. Two planned interim analyses utilized O'Brien-Fleming efficacy and futility monitoring boundaries. The Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test compared the proportion of pts with high bleeding scores (WHO ≥2 or MBS ≥3) between the two arms. A t-test compared the number of rescue therapies and the absolute change in KIT score between the two arms. Results: The epag arm had a statistically significant higher proportion of responders as compared to the SOC arm (p=0.0023; z-score=3.04) in the second planned interim analysis, crossing the monitoring boundary for efficacy for the primary endpoint. The primary endpoint of platelet response was achieved by 51/78 (65%) pts in the epag arm, compared with 13/40 (33%) pts in the SOC arm (p=0.0007). Trial accrual was closed early for efficacy per DSMB recommendation. Between May 2019 - January 2024, 122 pts were randomized across 23 institutions; 4 pts were subsequently deemed ineligible, and 118 were included in the intent-to-treat analysis (n=78 epag, n=40 SOC). Of the 118, 46 were aged 1-&amp;lt;6 years, 42 aged 6-&amp;lt;12 years, and 30 aged 12-&amp;lt;18 years. Forty-six pts received upfront treatment on the study, and 72 pts had treatment failure prior to enrollment. Median platelet count at enrollment was 4 x109/L (range 1 - 23) in the epag arm and 8 x109/L (1 - 28) in the SOC arm. Median WHO bleeding score at enrollment was 2 (range 0 - 3) and MBS was 3 (range 0 - 3) in the epag arm and 1 (0 - 3) and 2 (0 - 3), respectively, in the SOC arm. In the SOC arm, treatments prescribed were prednisone (n=29) and IVIg (n=11). The proportion of pts with a high bleeding score in the epag vs SOC arm was similar at weeks 1-4 and week 12. The proportion of pts who received rescue therapy was lower in the epag arm [15/78 (19%)] than the SOC arm [18/39 (46%)] (p=0.002). The mean absolute change from baseline in parent proxy-reported KIT overall scores in the epag arm vs SOC arm was 8.7 vs 10.1 at 1 week (p=0.45), 13.4 vs 10.7 at 4 weeks (p=0.24), and 15.6 vs 11.2 at 12 weeks (p=0.14), consistent with a clinically meaningful improvement in QoL at all time points in both arms. There were 20 AEs grade 3 or higher (including 6 SAEs) in the epag arm, and 6 (3 SAEs) in the SOC arm during the first 12 weeks. The most common AEs were headache (3 epag, 3 SOC) and epistaxis (1 epag, 2 SOC). Drug-related SAEs occurred in 6 pts (epag - 2 elevated LFTs, 2 headache (HA); SOC - 1 allergic reaction, 1 HA). There were no thromboembolic events. There was 1 intracranial hemorrhage in the epag arm. Enrolled pts are completing 12 months of follow up on the study per protocol. Conclusion: In pediatric pts with newly diagnosed ITP requiring pharmacologic treatment, epag leads to a significantly higher rate of a durable platelet response in the absence of rescue treatments as compared with standard first-line therapies.

  PublisherDOI

• Chemotherapeutic metabolism presenting as a recalcitrant case of hand–foot syndrome and mucositis

  Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice · 2024-01-10 · 2 citations

  articleSenior author

  INTRODUCTION: Mercaptopurine (6MP) and methotrexate (MTX) are commonly used for maintenance chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). These medications have been associated with various side effects such as myelosuppression, colitis, and thyroiditis in addition to numerous cutaneous adverse events. Cutaneous side-effects most reported include mucositis, alopecia, xerosis, and pruritus. We report an interesting case of hand-foot syndrome to 6MP in a child on maintenance therapy for B-cell ALL from an alteration in medication metabolism. CASE: We report a 10-year-old male on maintenance chemotherapy for pre-Bcell ALL who presented to the hospital with worsening oral lesions and erythematous, fissured plaques on the palms and soles. Maintenance therapy consisted of IV vincristine and 5-day pulse of steroids every 12 weeks, daily 6MP, and weekly MTX, which were increased to ≥ 150% of standard dosing due to persistent absolute neutrophil counts > 1500. Metabolites obtained on admission demonstrated elevated 6MMP metabolites at 35,761 (normal < 5700). TPMT and NUDT15 enzyme activity were normal and no alterations in genotyping were discovered. OUTCOME: Patient's oral chemotherapy, including both 6MP and MTX, were stopped and allopurinol 100 mg daily was initiated, which lead to overall improvement. DISCUSSION: Clinical findings of acute mucositis and worsening of hand-foot syndrome, in the setting of inadequate myelosuppression in a child on maintenance therapy for ALL should raise concerns to consider altered metabolism pathway leading to toxic metabolite buildup. Allopurinol can play in improving cutaneous manifestation and chemotherapeutic dosing in patients with altered metabolism.

  PublisherDOI

• Development and Validation of an LC-MS/MS Assay for the Quantitation of MO-OH-Nap Tropolone in Mouse Plasma: Application to In Vitro and In Vivo Pharmacokinetic Studies

  Molecules · 2024-09-18

  articleOpen access

  A rapid, selective, and sensitive liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the quantitation of MO-OH-Nap tropolone (MO-OH-Nap) in mouse plasma. MO-OH-Nap is an α-substituted tropolone with anti-proliferative properties in various cancer cell lines. Detection and separation of analytes was achieved on an ACE Excel C18 (1.7 µm, 100 × 2.1 mm, MAC-MOD Analytical, Chadds Ford, PA, USA) column with mobile phase consisting of 0.05% trifluoroacetic acid in water (mobile phase A) and 0.05% trifluoroacetic acid in acetonitrile (mobile phase B), with an isocratic elution of 15:85% (A:B) at a total flow rate of 0.25 mL/min. The LC-MS/MS system was operated at unit resolution in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, using precursor ion &gt; product ion combination of 249.10 &gt; 202.15 m/z for MO-OH-Nap and 305.10 &gt; 215.05 m/z for the internal standard (IS), BA-SM-OM. The MS/MS response was linear over a concentration range of 1 to 500 ng/mL with a correlation coefficient (r2) of ≥0.987. The within- and between-batch precision (%RSD) and accuracy (%Bias) were within acceptable limits. The validated method was successfully applied to determine MO-OH-Nap metabolic stability, plasma protein binding, and bio-distribution studies of MO-OH-Nap in CD-1 mice.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Investigation of the activity of a novel tropolone in osteosarcoma

  Drug Development Research · 2023-11-14 · 7 citations

  articleOpen access

  Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary malignant bone tumor characterized by frequent metastasis, rapid disease progression, and a high rate of mortality. Treatment options for OS have remained largely unchanged for decades, consisting primarily of cytotoxic chemotherapy and surgery, thus necessitating the urgent need for novel therapies. Tropolones are naturally occurring seven-membered non-benzenoid aromatic compounds that possess antiproliferative effects in a wide array of cancer cell types. MO-OH-Nap is an α-substituted tropolone that has activity as an iron chelator. Here, we demonstrate that MO-OH-Nap activates all three arms of the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway and induces apoptosis in a panel of human OS cell lines. Co-incubation with ferric chloride or ammonium ferrous sulfate completely prevents the induction of apoptotic and UPR markers in MO-OH-Nap-treated OS cells. MO-OH-Nap upregulates transferrin receptor 1 (TFR1) protein levels, as well as TFR1, divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1), iron-regulatory proteins (IRP1, IRP2), ferroportin (FPN), and zinc transporter 14 (ZIP14) transcript levels, demonstrating the impact of MO-OH-Nap on iron-homeostasis pathways in OS cells. Furthermore, MO-OH-Nap treatment restricts the migration and invasion of OS cells in vitro. Lastly, metabolomic profiling of MO-OH-Nap-treated OS cells revealed distinct changes in purine and pyrimidine metabolism. Collectively, we demonstrate that MO-OH-Nap-induced cytotoxic effects in OS cells are dependent on the tropolone's ability to alter cellular iron availability and that this agent exploits key metabolic pathways. These studies support further evaluation of MO-OH-Nap as a novel treatment for OS.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• How I treat newly diagnosed and refractory T-cell acute lymphoblastic lymphoma in children and young adults

  Blood · 2023 · 26 citations

  • Medicine
  • Oncology
  • Internal medicine

  T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LLy) and T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) have historically been considered a spectrum of the same disease. However, recent evidence demonstrating differential responses to chemotherapy raise the possibility that T-LLy and T-ALL are distinct clinical and biologic entities. Here, we examine differences between the 2 diseases and use illustrative cases to highlight key recommendations on how to best treat patients with newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory T-LLy. We discuss results of recent clinical trials incorporating use of nelarabine and bortezomib, choice of induction steroid, role of cranial radiotherapy, and risk stratification markers to identify patients at highest risk of relapse and to further refine current treatment strategies. Because prognosis for relapsed or refractory T-LLy patients is poor, we discuss ongoing investigations incorporating novel therapies, including immunotherapeutics, into upfront and salvage regimens and the role of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Lianna J. Marks

  Palo Alto University

  14 shared

• Rabi Hanna

  Cleveland Clinic

  12 shared

• Hilda Ding

  Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego

  12 shared

• Rachael F. Grace

  Harvard University

  10 shared

• Christopher C. Porter

  Ottawa Hospital

  9 shared

• Dmitry Baturin

  9 shared

• Pei‐Chi Kao

  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

  9 shared

• Rebecca Gardner

  St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

  8 shared

Education

• M.D.

  Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine

• Other, Hematology, Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation

  University of Colorado School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital Colorado