Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) Presents Research Abstracts During 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting

Abstracts underscore MMRF’s focus on data, innovative clinical
trials, and commitment to improving patient outcomes

NORWALK, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today,
the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF)
announced three
research abstracts to be presented at the American Society of Clinical
Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting & Exposition in Chicago, IL. The
abstracts focus on the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium MyDRUG™
Master Protocol, electronic medical record (EHR) data collection for a
new MMRF myeloma patient registry, and examination of patient knowledge
gaps surrounding optimizing their decision-making and outcomes.

Presented at the poster session on Monday June 3, “The
Myeloma-Developing Regimens Using Genomics (MyDRUG) Master Protocol”
describes the first platform trial for myeloma patients, which includes
five targeted arms, each of which is based on a specific genomic
alteration, and one arm for patients with none of the five mutations, to
deliver targeted treatments to high-risk myeloma patients. Several of
these alterations were identified or validated through the MMRF
CoMMpass™ Study. MMRF Chief Scientific Officer Daniel Auclair, PhD, is
the lead author.

Please visit https://themmrf.org/mydrug/
to learn more about the trial.

The second abstract investigates lessons learned in the course of EHR
data collection during the pilot phase of an MMRF direct-to-patient
multiple myeloma registry. MMRF Chief Data Officer Steven Labkoff, MD
and Dr. Auclair, are among the authors who examined the challenges of
consented patient record retrieval.

The data identifies unpredictable challenges associated with release of
records that could prove a barrier to research efforts and highlights
the need to establish best practices in release and retrieval of medical
records for real world data research.

The third abstract highlights research conducted with patients across
five different cancers that were brought together through the Harvard
Business School Kraft Precision Medicine Accelerator (HBS KPMA). The
authors, including MMRF Founder and Chief Mission Officer Kathy Giusti
and Chief Marketing and Development Officer Anne Quinn Young, MPH, found
consistent knowledge gaps across the five cancers in:

  • Selecting a knowledgeable care team and facility
  • Understanding their specific cancer sub-type and genomic information
  • Participating in clinical trials

About Myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a cancer of the plasma cell. It is the second
most common blood cancer. An estimated 32,110 adults (18,130 men and
13,980 women) in the United States will be diagnosed with MM in 2019 and
an estimated 12,960 people are predicted to die from the disease. The
five-year survival rate for MM is approximately 50.7%, versus 31% in
1999.

About the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation
(MMRF)

A pioneer in precision medicine, the Multiple Myeloma Research
Foundation (MMRF) seeks to find a cure for multiple myeloma by
relentlessly pursuing innovation that accelerates the development of
next-generation treatments to extend the lives of patients. Founded in
1998 by Kathy Giusti, a multiple myeloma patient, and her twin sister
Karen Andrews as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the MMRF is a
world-recognized leader in cancer research, launching over 80 clinical
trials and leading to 10 FDA-approved drugs. Together with its partners,
the MMRF has created the only end-to-end solution in precision medicine.
With this, the MMRF, a pioneer in precision medicine, continues to
disrupt the industry today, building CoMMpass Study, the single largest
genomic dataset for any cancer, and launching MyDRUG, the first platform
trial in multiple myeloma. Since its inception, the organization has
collected over 4,000 samples and tissues in its database, which is
shared among 25 academic institutions. The MMRF has raised over $400
million and directs nearly 90% of the total funds to research and
related programs. To learn more, visit www.themmrf.org.

About the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium
(MMRC)

The Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC) is a 509 (a) (3)
non-profit organization that integrates leading academic institutions to
accelerate drug development in multiple myeloma. It is led from the MMRC
offices in Norwalk, Conn., and comprises 25 member institutions:
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer
Center, Beth Israel Deaconess, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Mayo Clinic
(Jacksonville, Rochester and Scottsdale), Baylor Charles A. Sammons
Cancer Center at Dallas, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, City of
Hope, Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute, Levine Cancer
Institute, The John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University
Medical Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Mount Sinai Icahn School of
Medicine, Ohio State University, Sarah Cannon Research Institute,
University Health Network (Princess Margaret Hospital), University of
Arkansas for Medical Sciences, University of California, San Francisco,
University of Chicago, University of Michigan, UT Southwestern, Virginia
Cancer Specialists and Washington University in St. Louis.

Contacts

Media Contact – Multiple Myeloma Research
Foundation (MMRF)

Anne Quinn Young, MPH
Chief
Marketing and Development Officer

203-536-8691