The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) announced at the 59th ASH Annual Meeting the recipients of its awards for outstanding acceleration, innovation and collaboration to advance the research and development of novel therapies for multiple myeloma. For the year of 2017, the MMRF recognized:
2017 MMRC Accelerator Award
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Boston’s Dana Farber Cancer Institute has been selected for the 2017 MMRC Accelerator Award. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital group has enrolled the largest number of patients on MMRC studies this year (over 20% of total) in addition to bringing to the Consortium groundbreaking new trials involving immune and targeted approaches as well as innovative clinical and translational efforts in the area of precursor conditions and myeloma genomic data analysis and validation.
2017 MMRC Innovator Award
Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai
Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai in New York City has been selected for the 2017 MMRC Innovator Award. In addition to always being among the top enrollers for MMRC trials, in 2017 this group was responsible for one third of all cases profiled through our Molecular Profiling Protocol (NCT02884102), highlighted during an oral presentation at ASH2017. By doing so, not only did MSSM investigators provide crucial data to validate the sequencing platform that will be used to screen patients for the MMRC upcoming MyDRUG master protocol but they were in many cases able to identify and pursue novel Precision Medicine options for their patients.
2017 MMRC Collaborator Award
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis has been selected for the 2017 MMRC Collaborator Award. In 2017 Washington University was the second highest enroller for MMRC trials. This was driven in part by the IRD study brought by Washington University to the Consortium that will, among others, provide crucial clinical and MRD data needed to help shape future post-transplant and maintenance therapeutic strategies. This year Washington University has also worked closely with the MMRC on patient-centric surveys aimed at better understanding patients preferences and choices with regards to myeloma treatments and on developing innovative pre-clinical models and new molecular tests for multiple myeloma.