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There are several wonderful pieces of myeloma-related news this week that deserve to be shared. From Iceland to China, here are the highlights. Iceland’s iStopMM Project Published in ‘Nature Medicine’There is great news for the IMF-supported iStopMM (Iceland Screens…
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As we start a New Year trying to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to look at all possible means to stay healthy.To demonstrate, the following three books help illustrate the impact of diet, general physical health, and mental attitude in order to achieve best…
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Each year, myeloma sessions at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Summit have different patterns of interest and importance. This year, bispecific antibodies became the area of great excitement, with results from many trials reported.
Focus on Talquetamab…
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These are very exciting times in myeloma – so many new therapies being developed, new drug combinations being used in frontline therapy, new imaging and diagnostic techniques, and so much more!
But what is often forgotten is the surge in options in early relapsed disease. We typically think of “…
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Tecvayli™ (teclistamab-cqyv) is a new bispecific antibody that was recently approved by the …
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The 64th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting will be held from December 10-13 in New Orleans, Louisiana.According to ASH, there are “typically, more than 5,000 scientific abstracts submitted each year, and more than 3,000 abstracts are accepted for oral and poster…
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It’s almost the end of the week and there are significant developments and relevant news which unfolded recently—a mixed bag of good and bad news—that deserve the myeloma community’s careful attention.
Tecvayli FDA Approval
On Wednesday, October 25, the Janssen Pharmaceutical…
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The First Bispecific Antibody Is Now Available to Patients in the Clinical Setting.
On October 25, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to the drug teclistamab (Tecvayli™) for patients with relapsed or refractory myeloma who have had at least 4 prior…
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This year, the International Myeloma Foundation’s (IMF) 6th Annual Asian Myeloma Network (AMN) Summit was held from October 13-16 in Singapore.
The programs for this year included the 2nd AMN Master Class, the 2nd Asian Patient Support Seminar, and the full AMN Summit 2-…
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This past week became the first true vacation I had since the start of the pandemic, which was almost three years ago.
It was amazing to finally be able to get away—re-experience traveling, visit my favorite places and restaurants, and reunite with so many old friends.
However, so…
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As we continue to cope with and adapt to a COVID-19 pandemic that is not quite over and that is still seemingly a global crisis on every front, we look to Amanda Gorman’s poem, “An Ode We Owe,” for wisdom and insight. Amanda read her piece during the opening of the 77th Session of the…
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Myeloma Moonshot: How Blood Testing Is Moving Prevention and Cure Ahead of Schedule Sixty years ago, President John F. Kennedy delivered a powerful and historic speech about America…
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The recent signed agreement between One Medical and Amazon regarding the upcoming $3.9 billion acquisition of the primary healthcare firm by the multinational technology company has…
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After over two and a half years of dealing and coping with COVID-19—from lockdowns brought about by a pandemic, to more manageable but sporadic community surges—everyone is looking for simpler and more effective guidance to stay as safe as possible and to lessen anxiety in social settings. …
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Whenever I have time, I would watch the evening news on one of the major TV networks.
I realize that I am part of a vanishing breed. Since the halcyon days of Walter Cronkite (often cited as “the most trusted man in America”), TV viewership has plummeted from 40 million to around 8…
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As we head into the third summer of the COVID-19 pandemic, you would notice that so much has changed.
We no longer need to wipe down items we bought from the grocery store. We know that the new subvariants are airborne and highly infectious with close contact in closed spaces or in places with…
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The Future of Myeloma Treatment: Insights and Innovations
As we move forward in 2022 and consider Key Myeloma Research Questions for 2022-2026 as we did at the 2022 IMWG Summit, hopes and challenges for the future come into strong focus. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic is still an ongoing…
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June 21st, Tuesday marked the beginning of summer. Normally, this is the perfect time to plan for vacations, family gatherings, 4th of July celebrations, a summer reading list, and the like.
However, 2022 is a bit different and more challenging. But we should not let the…
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The International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) convened for its Annual Summit this year from June 7-9, 2022, in Vienna, Austria where more than a hundred IMWG members participated in current discussions that are of greatest importance in myeloma research.
This was…
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Professor Jesús San Miguel, MD, PhD: Recipient of the Gregorio Marañón' National Research Award in Medicine
Professor Jesús San Miguel, MD, PhD, Director of Clinical and Translational Medicine at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain, received the prestigious…
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DETERMINATION and IFM 2018-04 Clinical Trials and New Approaches to Relapsed Disease
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) was held from June 3–7 in Chicago, IL, and the European Hematology Association (EHA) was held from June 9–12 in Vienna, Austria. This year, both ASCO and…
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The Next Wave of Immunotherapy in Myeloma
In the Spring 2020 edition of Myeloma Today, my column focused on the topic of immunotherapy in myeloma. Employing one’s immune system in the fight against cancer has…
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Key Emerging Themes of Disparities in Myeloma
Held in December 2021, the 63rd Annual Meeting & Exposition of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) was an extraordinary platform for presentations of groundbreaking research in myeloma with its impressive screening programs, quadruplet…
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2022 Future of Myeloma Care and Treatment Advances Newly diagnosed patients ask: What is myeloma? What can I expect? Is it treatable? How long will I live? As we struggle to emerge from the COVID -19 pandemic, albeit seeing very encouraging results with many new immune therapies, it is a good…
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On March 7,2022, Teva Pharmaceuticals announced the launch of the first generic version of REVLIMID® (lenalidomide) in the US,…
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Myeloma patient and support group leader
Sue Massey shares her story of being diagnosed with multiple myeloma at a young age and how she discovered her path to peace.
It’s been almost 10 years since I started my myeloma journey, and what a journey it has been! I have…
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On February 28, 2022, the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved CARVYKTI™ (ciltacabtagene autoleucel; cilta-cel) “for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) after four or…
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As Thanksgiving rolled into Christmas and then New Year and the omicron surge really took off in January, I began to realize that I have not had a vacation for over two years and that my travel agent was not yet ready to make bookings for 2022. The lack of vacation or even solid plans for one has…
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It has definitely been a struggle to get through 2020 and 2021. We all approach 2022 with mixed emotions, hopeful that this horrible pandemic will finally end but anxious about how we get there. The ongoing omicron variant surge really heightens the need for caution which we have been discussing,…
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As we adapt to a world in which we will be living with COVID-19 well into 2022 and beyond, it is important to develop a mental survival strategy. We must create a personal world in which we not only survive but prosper. The first step is to believe that this possible. And then build programs for…
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ASH 2021 Myeloma Highlights and Omicron Safety Update As we prepare for the 63rdAmerican Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, December 11-14, serious concerns have emerged this week about the new COVID-…
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*Updated November 19, 2021: The FDA has authorized the Pfizer and Moderna boosters for all adults.
As we move into the holiday season, a new definition of…
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iStopMM Iceland Study Advances Early Myeloma Detection November 4, 2021Today marked the release of hundreds of abstracts or summaries of research studies that will be presented at the…
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Updated October 22, 2021: The CDC on Thursday approved booster shots of the Moderna and J&J COVID-19 vaccines for those 65 years and over, aged 18 to 64 with…
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I recently had the privilege of speaking with Leo Dierckman, a patient from Carmel, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis, who has had high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma. Leo was brave enough to enter into…
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September 3, 2021
As we face a massive surge in COVID-19 infections caused by the Delta variant, it is crucial to have better treatments for those whose lives are challenged by COVID-19 infection. It is wonderful to learn that the amazing…
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Teclistamab Phase 1 Results in Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma August 26, 2021Although the myeloma community has benefited substantially from regulatory approval of several new therapies, including Xpovio,…
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July 1, 2021
Current guidelines
The simple recommendations for myeloma patients remain the same:
Get vaccinated. The key is to be fully vaccinated (2 doses of the Pfizer or MODERNA vaccine if possible).
Wear a mask, especially indoors,…
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Key Takeaways from the 2021 IMWG Summit
The 2021 International Myeloma Working Group Summit, held virtually June 22-23, provided a rare opportunity for over 100 of the top myeloma experts from around the world to actively discuss topics of the greatest current importance in myeloma. The…
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June 17, 2021
As announced earlier this week, the IMF congratulates the recipients of the 2021 IMWG Awards, given annually by the International Myeloma…
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The virtual 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting (American Society of Clinical Oncology) starts tomorrow, June 4, and runs through June 8. Although it is just not the same without in-person presentations, online discussions of the pending abstracts have been…
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May 27, 2021
With new, much more relaxed guidelines from the CDC, it is important to assess how myeloma patients can continue to stay safe. A number of cautions are still required as…
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Insights from the First Results of the iStopMM Screening Study
May 20, 2021
This week, the IMF is pleased to announce the publication of the first results of the…
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May 6, 2021
During numerous virtual support group meetings, it has become obvious to me that newly diagnosed myeloma patients face many challenges during this pandemic. Firstly, the diagnosis may have been delayed because of reduced access for testing and follow-up. Then the…
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April 22, 2021
For myeloma patients, staying healthy is an extra challenge as they focus on achieving response to treatments and sustaining remissions. The added burden of COVID-19 uncertainties is at times overwhelming. In an effort to build resilience it is helpful to take a…
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Progress and Patience in the Quest for a Myeloma Cure
April 15, 2021
Achieving a cure for myeloma is what every patient wants, and it is the ultimate goal of all myeloma researchers. In 2012 the IMF established the Black Swan Research…
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April 8, 2021
ABECMA
As we have reported, it is really exciting that the first anti-BCMA CAR T cell-therapy for myeloma, Abecma, was approved by the U.S.…
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At this time of year, I am normally on vacation. Because of the pandemic I, like so many others, have not had a vacation for over a year. So, I decided to take a simulated vacation and create a more joyous environment filled with tranquility, music and articles/books not about COVID-19.
I…
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March 18, 2021
Despite the challenges COVID-19 presents around the world, myeloma researchers are carrying on. Two helpful myeloma publications appeared recently in the journal Blood.
The role of dexamethasone
Dr. Meletios Dimopoulos (University of Athens) and colleagues…
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Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma: IMWG Treatment GuidelinesMarch 11, 2021The International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) has published new guidelines for the treatment of…