The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) has launched a research study powered by genomic and clinical information from multiple myeloma patients, collected through at-home testing.
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a cancer of the plasma cell. It is the second most common blood cancer. Approximately 31,000 adults in the United States were diagnosed with MM in 2019 and an estimated 12,770 people are predicted to die from the disease. The five-year survival rate for MM is approximately 47 percent, vs. 31 percent in 1999.
The MMRF CureCloud project is providing access to genomic sequencing to every multiple myeloma patient who enrolls in the study, while making the aggregated data available to patients and their physicians to drive more informed decision-making and optimize outcomes.
All participant data is de-identified to ensure patient privacy and securely stored in the MMRF CureCloud database. Once sufficient data is collected, aggregated de-identified data will be made available to clinicians, patients and researchers.
The MMRF CureCloud provides customized reports and data access to clinicians and patients participating in the study, providing valuable insights into the patient’s disease. It also offers the power of aggregated real-world data to doctors, patients and researchers. As enrollment in the program grows, it should help researchers discover innovative approaches to explore.
Patients and their physicians will receive a free report on the genetic variations in their myeloma cells along with information about timely, possible clinical trials for their specific subtype of myeloma. MMRF CureCloud provides a patient dashboard as patients’ personal portal to their medical records and genomic testing results.
MMRF says the study uses a novel, clinical-grade liquid biopsy next-generation sequencing assay for multiple myeloma.
The organization has collaborated with Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, COTA, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, My Gene Counsel, Prometheus Research, an IQVIA business, Prophet, and Springbox, a Prophet company, to develop and launch CureCloud.
In a statement, Kathy Giusti, MMRF founder and chief mission officer, said, “CureCloud will put power in the hands of patients by knocking down barriers, democratizing healthcare, and offering precise information to patients and their doctors about their cancer diagnosis in a way that is simple, affordable and accessible.”
The MMRF was the first to create a multi-center tissue bank for myeloma that now has samples from more than 4,000 patients, some of which were used to sequence the multiple myeloma genome for the first time. The MMRF also developed and sponsored the CoMMpass Study, which is now the largest cancer genomics data set in the public domain.
