NORWALK, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) announced today that it is investing $5 million over the next three years to launch “The MMRF Answer Fund,” a multifaceted effort to address important questions facing the multiple myeloma community and to advance precision medicine. The Answer Fund will leverage the landmark MMRF CoMMpass© study, which is the largest collection of genomic data of any cancer, tracking more than 1,100 myeloma patients over eight years.
One of the most urgent questions facing the multiple myeloma community is how to define and treat high-risk patients. Despite the tremendous progress made and the many new therapeutics approved in the past few years, nearly 20% of multiple myeloma patients pass away from the disease within three years of diagnosis. To address this challenge, the MMRF is launching a request for applications (RFA) to fund innovative projects aimed at identifying the molecular drivers that contribute to early disease progression. Researchers will use data from CoMMpass to identify and gain a better scientific understanding of these drivers and to accelerate the discovery of new therapeutics or the optimization of current treatments.
“The MMRF CoMMpass Study gives us an incredible quantity of world-class data from which we can glean insights to solve the most urgent questions facing myeloma patients,” said MMRF President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Giusti. “By getting to the heart of these questions, we will accelerate precision medicine approaches to optimize care and to extend the life of every patient.”
Also as part of the effort, the MMRF will crowdsource questions from patients, as well as from researchers and clinicians, to determine the most pressing challenges they face in maximizing clinical outcomes for every patient in this era of precision medicine. The MMRF will then engage researchers to answer those questions through a second RFA process. Solicitation of questions will begin in early August, with RFAs being announced in the fall.
About the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF)
The mission of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) is to find a cure for multiple myeloma by relentlessly pursuing innovation that accelerates the development of next-generation treatments to extend the lives of patients. Founded in 1998 by Kathy Giusti, a multiple myeloma patient, and her twin sister Karen Andrews as a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, the MMRF is a world-recognized leader in cancer research. Together with its partners, the MMRF has created the only end-to-end solution in precision medicine and the single largest genomic dataset in all cancers. The MMRF continues to disrupt the industry today, as a pioneer and leader at the helm of new research efforts. Since its inception, the organization has raised over $350 million and directs nearly 90% of the total funds to research and related programs. As a result, the MMRF has been awarded Charity Navigator’s coveted four-star rating for 12 years, the highest designation for outstanding fiscal responsibility and exceptional efficiency.
About Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cell. It is the second most common blood cancer. An estimated 30,000 adults will be diagnosed this year and 12,500 people are predicted to die from the disease.
