In this interview, Dr. Joseph Mikhael, Chief Medical Officer of the International Myeloma Foundation, sheds light on strategies to tackle the historical lack of diversity in clinical trial populations for multiple myeloma (MM). Despite around 20% of US myeloma patients being of African American descent, their representation in clinical trials has hovered around 5% to 8%, and even less in pivotal trials leading to drug approvals.

This lack of representation not only hampers understanding of treatment efficacy and toxicity across diverse patients but also reveals variations in immune therapy responses, like cytokine release syndrome and neurological toxicities. Addressing these challenges requires multi-faceted solutions, which range from dismantling systemic racism and enhancing healthcare access to building trust within the system. Watch the full interview to learn more.