Dear IMS members and Colleagues,
Welcome to the new edition of our newsletter!
Our 18th International Myeloma Annual Meeting in Vienna, Austria set another record with over 3,500 attendees – both in person and virtual – and another truly stellar scientific program. The Society is now busy preparing for our annual meeting in August. I hope to see you all in Los Angeles from August 25-27 for the 19th International Myeloma Society Annual Meeting. We are eager to unveil our new meeting format and are expecting even more attendees this year. I would encourage everyone to please submit your abstracts before our May 30 deadline. This meeting, with an expected over 4,000 attendees focused on myeloma research and clinical care, will provide the widest exposure to everyone’s research efforts. Registration is now open, so please make sure you reserve your spot today.
One of the important recent developments in the myeloma world is the approval by FDA of yet another therapy for myeloma. The 2nd CAR-T product, ciltacabtagene autoleucel (Carvykti) was approved last month for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma following 4 or more prior lines of therapy. The available treatment options for myeloma are increasing and we are inching towards cure!
In more good news, thanks to the generosity of the Paula and Rodger Riney Foundation, the IMS has been able to fund 12 new Translational Research Awards and 7 new Career Development Awards. This represents developing partnerships with 21 different institutions in 13 countries. To learn more about these grants, please visit our website. Please share information about these awards with your colleagues and mentees in anticipation of our next application cycle.
The IMS is continuing several educational efforts. The 3rd Annual Immune Effector Cell Meeting is scheduled in Boston from May 7-8. We hope you will be able to join us either in person or virtually. We are also happy to begin a new series, “IMS Practical Insights of Novel Immune Therapies in Multiple Myeloma”, where we will be providing a free three hour workshop in cities around the world to provide practical educational resources to help bridge the knowledge gap between CAR T administering centers and smaller community centers where the vast majority of oncology patients are treated, and raise awareness of novel immune based strategies including antibody drug conjugates, bispecific T cell engagers, and CAR T therapies among healthcare professionals. We encourage you all to share these resources with your colleagues. Our next such in-person workshop will take place on April 29 in Chicago, you can register here, and check back often to see when we will be in a city near you.
I would like you all to share information with your colleagues and encourage them to become members. We now have special membership for members-in-training for trainees and associate membership for industry and allied health professionals. Please look at our membership pages for more details. We are excited to expand our membership and benefits to others in the myeloma community.
If you have any questions about our activities, membership, or any ideas for future issues, please reach out to Moira Hancock.
There is more in store, so please continue to check our website for more updates. I hope you enjoy this issue of our newsletter.
Nikhil Munshi, MD
President
