Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium

The Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC) is a unique research model that was developed to accelerate the development of novel, cutting-edge treatments for patients afflicted by multiple myeloma by catalyzing, promoting, and facilitating collaborative research between industry and academia. This bench to bedside research is solely directed to provide new and more effective treatments for our patients and fast forward progress towards the ultimate cure of Myeloma.

Founded in 2004 by Kathy Giusti, a myeloma patient and Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, the MMRC has created multiple opportunities in myeloma research and drug development that did not exist just a few years earlier.

Academic Institutions
The MMRC is currently comprised of eleven world-renowned academic institutions: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Emory University, Hackensack University Medical Center, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers of New York, University Health Network (Princess Margaret Hospital), and University of Chicago.

Tissue Banking
At the core of the MMRC's innovative model is the MMRC Tissue Bank, which provides researchers with the critical mass of myeloma tissue samples needed to advance research efforts. With more than 600 tissue samples accrued to date under Good Laboratory Practices, the MMRC Tissue Bank has enabled researchers to initiate pre-clinical validation efforts &mdash; an important step in the development of new and combination therapies.

Research Cores
The MMRC is currently conducting research efforts across through three Research Cores: Genomics, Validation, and Clinical Trials. These efforts span the spectrum of drug development &mdash; from the identification of new druggable targets, to the validation of novel and combination therapies, to advancing new compounds into Phase I and II clinical trials.

Research Efforts
MMRC research efforts are focused on the development of novel targeted therapies. The MMRC is conducting several validation efforts, including a pre-clinical study to validate antibodies that may represent promising therapeutic options in myeloma. The MMRC is also conducting a Phase I trial and correlative sciences study of an FGFR3 inhibitor, with several other exciting clinical trials now under development. As such, the MMRC now serves as an optimal model to not only hasten drug discoveries in myeloma, but to spearhead the development of new breakthrough treatments.