Teresa Regueiro /MM.Patient Advocacy

We have a cure definition for myeloma. Requires: 1) Off all therapy and sustained MRD negative for 5 years 2) Negative imaging studies Presented by @NikhilMunshiMD #IMS26 @Myeloma_Society Note: 1) We need to see how this definition performs. Relapse rate for patients meeting these cure criteria must ideally be less than 5%. If not, we may have to adjust the criteria. 2) I hope the cure criteria will be the impetus to stop doing trials with endless therapy. You cannot claim cure with continuous therapy. I’m glad the field is mostly aligned on this. Cure for patients and public in any disease has a deep meaning. Cure means cure. We cannot dilute it.

How long from protocol to paper? This one is 15 years. RCTs especially IITs are hard work. @myelomaMD pulled it off through unbelievable hard work.

I’m heading to the 17th Annual IMWG Summit— one of the most amazing meetings in medicine. It is a working meeting where we gather to discuss and brainstorm all things myeloma. It is one of a kind meeting. It is Team Work at its best! Team work in myeloma has in part been made possible by strong informal leadership, and respect for each other that we share. The kind where one phone call can solve any problem or misunderstanding. The kind where researchers, patients, pharmaceutical companies, and non-profit organizations have truly come together for a shared goal and vision. We debate and argue. With 20 new drugs approved in 20 years, the myeloma field has a lot to talk about! But our collective vision is to improve survival and to cure myeloma. We stay focused on that and tune other stuff out. At the start of every IMWG summit we say it doesn’t matter who gets the credit as long as we help myeloma patients. And we mean it. I have been in the field for over 25 years and I know what we have in myeloma is unique. The Annual IMWG summit organized by @IMFmyeloma epitomizes this team work.