Debut Issue, Fall/Winter 2014 The Magazine of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation Multiple myeloma at a transformational moment Making precision medicine a reality for multiple myeloma patients we are curing cancer accelerator The Magazine of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation | Fall/Winter 2014 Features Our pipeline is the strongest in our history. Researchers who used to compete now collaborate. 5 THE ACCELERATORS 6 KNOW EVERYTHING THAT 12 COVER STORY Technology companies are How the MMRF reached this IS HAPPENING IN MYELOMA The MMRF CoMMpass StudySM stepping up. Sequencing transformational moment. Introducing the redesign seeks to make precision of themmrf.org. medicine a reality. individual genomes is WE ARE providing exciting PROUD TO SHOW YOU Drug Development People Events roadmaps to a cure. WHAT THE MMRF 7 CLINICAL TRIAL NEWS 14 DONOR PROFILES 18 MMRF ANNUAL FALL GALA Life expectancy has HAS ACHIEVED 10 MULTIPLE MYELOMA 16 MMRF LEADERSHIP 20 MMRF CHICAGO MASTER PROTOCOL AWARDS DINNER nearly tripled. And we IN 2014. 11 MMRF RESEARCH AWARDS MMRF in the News 21 MMRF LAUGH FOR LIFE: have launched our NOW NEW YORK 26 MMRF MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS fundraising campaign, 22 MMRF TEAM FOR CURES the largest in our history. 25 INDEPENDENT EVENTS 27 CALENDAR To learn more, or to make ABOUT THE COVER a donation, please visit The promise of personalized medicine. The more we learn about cancers affecting different parts of the body, themmrf.org. the more biologically similar we find them to be. See what we are learning in the groundbreaking MMRF CoMMpass StudySM on page 12. SPONSORS We thank our sponsors for their support of Accelerator, The Magazine of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation 3 The Accelerators A letter from Walter M. Capone How the MMRF reached this transformational moment Dear friend of the MMRF, The mission to cure multiple myeloma has entered a critical, transformative time. Working with strong partners in industry and academia, the MMRF is leading new, bold initiatives and advancing promising therapies to bring overwhelming force in the fight against myeloma. So far this year, we’ve brought 3 new classes of drugs into our clinical study portfolio (p. 8) and are launching one of the first targeted therapy trials in myeloma. The MMRF CoMMpassSM Study, cornerstone of our precision medicine initiative, is on track to complete enrollment by year end. We have identified thousands of mutations and are seeing patients respond well to the six treatment approaches that predominate in first line treatment. Learn more about our progress (p. 12). Driven by their own experiences with Part 2: The MMRF CoMMpassSM Study centers. This is the idea behind the MMRF Our fundraising efforts have received a strong boost from two cancer, and/or a personal mission, the “Open science” is a central tenet of Researcher Gateway, which centralizes new funds (p. 14), and we are in the process of launching the NOW men and women who lead the MMRF are the MMRF’s strategy to accelerate and shares genomic data to accelerate campaign, the largest capital campaign in MMRF history. united in their goal to disrupt the status a cure. So all data from the MMRF discovery of individualized treatment The NOW campaign is the first of several changes that we have made quo and accelerate the path to a cure. CoMMpass Study is being placed on the approaches, biomarkers, diagnostics and at the MMRF, which include a user-friendlier website (p. 6) and our MMRF Researcher Gateway, a public new drug targets. The result of the team’s work, which redesigned magazine. portal, to accelerate data sharing and includes leadership roles in Clinical Part 4: The MMRF CoMMunity Gateway hypothesis generation for new clinical Research, Clinical Operations, Finding a cure depends on everyone in As we move into 2015, we are designing new academic, industry trials. CoMMpass is tracking 1,000 Translational Research, and Strategic the myeloma community — researchers, and government researcher partnerships, and are developing new patients from initial diagnosis through Partnerships, has four key components: industry, clinicians, and patients. That is networks, research tools, and international clinical trial consortia. their course of treatment for at least 8 why the MMRF established the MMRF Part 1: The Multiple Myeloma years with sequential tissue sampling I can see the future. We are closing in on it faster than ever — CoMMunity Gateway, to empower Genomics Initiative to identify how a molecular profile may it is a world without cancer. patients to become active participants The MMRF was the first to sequence affect response to treatment. in their own care by sharing their On behalf of all of us at the MMRF, we thank you for your support the myeloma genome and put the Part 3: The MMRF journey in our search for better, more and wish you and your loved ones a happy New Year! results in a centralized repository Researcher Gateway targeted treatments. for researchers to share through the Sincerely, Keenly aware of the bottlenecks typical Initiative’s Genomics Portal. The result in cancer research, the MMRF leadership Anne Quinn Young, M.P.H., Vice President, is the largest data set ever published team aims to engage all possible stake- Development and Strategic Partnerships; in myeloma. Kathy Giusti, Founder and Executive Chairman holders, including researchers, drug MMRF and MMRC; and Walter M. Capone, Walter M. Capone companies, and academic/community President and Chief Executive Officer. President and Chief Executive Officer, MMRF THEMMRF.ORG 5 Know everything that Drug Development is happening in myeloma MMRC pipeline offers promise to patients Our comprehensive new website is organized with you in mind. It has been an exciting year for clinical trials. The most important element in the to add content in the months to come, who specialize in their particular area of Ed Johnson, a patient whose multiple quest to cure multiple myeloma is so visit themmrf.org today — and check genomics, and sign up for clinical trials that myeloma has relapsed, was researching “ We have opened six information. Circulating it quickly back often. might be right for them. treatments that have become available incredibly exciting new among the people who need it is key to since his diagnosis seven years ago. Discover these patient resources Clinical Trial Finder the success of the MMRF, and critically “Here’s another one,” he remembers trials for multiple myeloma Find a host of useful tools, starting Take action! Play a more active role in important to the researchers, clinicians, saying. “Here’s another one. And with these three: your healthcare, gain access to promising patients who are running pharmaceutical and biotechnology here’s another one. There are a lot new research treatments before they of options,” he continues. “A few years out of treatment options. companies, and patients who are Free e-Newsletter are widely available, and help advance ago it was option A and ‘we’ll have to pressing for a cure. Sign up for our monthly newsletter We are confident that medical research to bring us closer to hope that works.’” and get updates about new treatments, The new MMRF website is the conveyor finding a cure. they will prove to have new trials, and more. of everything that is known and being Call: 1-866-603-6628 Now, we are poised to make even a significant impact for greater progress toward a cure. This discovered in multiple myeloma. It is easy MMRF CoMMunity Gateway Email: [email protected] year, the Multiple Myeloma Research many of our patients.” to use and organized to help you find out Participate in our search for better, Professional Education Consortium (MMRC) opened six new Fiona An, M.D., about a treatment or clinical trial, a new more targeted treatments online. As therapies, to all-oral regimens. We are — Gain access to significant clinical data clinical trials. These represent some Senior Vice President development in our understanding of the more patients’ genomes are sequenced confident that they will prove to have published at major medical congresses of the most promising treatments in of Clinical Research disease, and useful resources that can and mutations are discovered, the hope a significant impact for many of our ASH, ASCO, EHA, and IMW. Learn from for the MMRF and make a difference in your life. development today. “Together with our is that patients can connect with other patients,” said Fiona An, M.D., Senior MMRC key opinion leaders in multiple myeloma committed and world-class partners, we patients, then engage with researchers Vice President of Clinical Research for The website is dynamic, just like the who will highlight key clinical data. have opened six incredibly exciting new the MMRF and MMRC. field of multiple myeloma research. It Visit the MMRF website to view trials for multiple myeloma patients who is designed to update you on promising CME-accredited webcasts. are running out of treatment options. Our mission is to keep that pipeline new developments and discoveries as There is such a robust pipeline of filled for Ed Johnson and other patients they occur. In this spirit, we will continue promising therapies — from monoclonal like him. The Johnson Family: Ed, Annie, Augie antibodies to first-in-class novel and Louis. 6 THEMMRF.ORG DRUG DEVELOPMENT 7 Hope for patients with relapsed myeloma These breakthrough MMRC clinical trials provide hope for relapsed patients who may have The strength of the consortium few options and whose cancer has