What Lies Ahead for Myeloma Patients?
As we progress through 2022 and reflect on the Key Myeloma Research Questions for 2022-2026, discussed at the 2022 IMWG Summit, both hopes and challenges for the future come into clear view. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a significant concern, especially for myeloma patients, who remain at high risk of infection. Blueprint for […]
What Happened to COVID-19?
On Friday, March 1, 2024; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated recommendations on “how people can protect themselves and their communities from respiratory viruses, including COVID-19.” According to the CDC, “the new guidance offers a unified approach to reducing risks from a variety of common respiratory viruses like COVID-19, flu, and […]
Inflation Reduction Act Delivers Drug Savings for Medicare Beneficiaries; Promising Results from the DREAMM-7 Trial
As a result of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Medicare Part D prescription drug enrollees can now “benefit from lower prescription drug costs and a revamped drug program.” However, according to Mark Miller of the New York Times, awareness of these changes remains surprisingly low, as shown in a recent survey by the Kaiser […]
FDA Approves Tecvayli Bispecific Engager for Relapsed Myeloma; Concerns Grow Over COVID-19 Subvariants Ahead of Winter Surge
As the week draws to a close, several important developments and news stories have emerged—both positive and concerning—that the myeloma community should pay close attention to. FDA Approval of Tecvayli On Wednesday, October 25, 2022; Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) announced that the FDA has approved Tecvayli™ (teclistamab-cqyv) for the treatment of […]
FDA approved Abecma and Carvykti for use in earlier lines of therapy for patients with relapsed or refractory myeloma.
Exciting news for the myeloma community emerged last week with the release of the FDA Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) meeting results from March 15. At this public session, ODAC panelists discussed the risk-benefit profiles of CAR T-cell therapies, specifically Bristol Myers Squibb and 2seventy bio’s Abecma (ide-cel) and Johnson & Johnson and Legend Biotech’s […]
A Historic Milestone: ODAC Unanimously Endorses MRD Testing as an Early Endpoint in Myeloma Trials to Accelerate Approval of New Treatments
On Friday, April 12, 2024; the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hosted an Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) meeting to examine the use of minimal residual disease (MRD) as a clinical trial endpoint in multiple myeloma, specifically discussing assessment timing, relevant patient groups, and trial designs aimed at supporting accelerated approval of new therapies. […]
Building Resilience: Essential for the Myeloma Journey
Resilience—the ability to stay strong in the face of adversity—is essential in managing the challenges that arise with a myeloma diagnosis. As I often say, myeloma care is a marathon, not a sprint, requiring sustained resilience along the journey. Resilience in Day-to-Day Life In a 2020 Conversations with Dr. Durie podcast, I spoke with Sue […]
Insights from the New York Longevity Feast: Lessons for a Healthier Life
Dan Buettner, author of a book on the world’s famed “Blue Zones” where people live remarkably long lives, recently hosted an intimate dinner party in New York. The event, recounted by the New York Times under the headline “My Dinner With Longevity Expert Dan Buettner (No Kale Required),” aimed to recreate the kind of meal […]
15th Annual IMWG Summit
From early diagnosis to managing difficult-to-treat relapsing disease, thought leaders covered a wide array of topics, offering new insights and innovative suggestions to enhance outcomes. The iStopMM ProjectDay 1 kicked off with an update on the revolutionary iStopMM (Iceland Screens, Treats, or Prevents Multiple Myeloma) Project. A key goal of this project is determining whether […]
Take Time to Celebrate Summer and Embrace Joy on the 4th of July!
As summer vacations are in full swing, it’s the perfect time to step back and celebrate life’s best moments, big or small. Embracing these victories, even the ones that are hard to find, can help us cultivate joy for the future. I’ve often written about the Blue Zone island of Ikaria (or Icaria) in Greece, […]