September 16, 2005

Three Centers Join Myeloma Consortium

MULTIPLE MYELOMA RESEARCH CONSORTIUM said three cancer centers have joined the consortium: Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute, University of Chicago, and Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers of New York of Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers of New York. The consortium brings together leading academic institutions to accelerate drug development in multiple myeloma and improve patient outcomes. "We are thrilled that these three institutions have joined the consortium," said Kathy Giusti, consortium founder and CEO. "By facilitating collaboration among these top academic cancer centers, we hope to spearhead drugs from the bench to the bedside as quickly as possible for patients with myeloma." Founding MMRC members include Dana Farber Cancer Institute, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Mayo Clinic, and University Health Network (Princess Margaret Hospital). Current research includes a pre-clinical effort to validate key targets in myeloma; a pre-clinical study, in collaboration with a biotech partner, to validate antibodies that may represent promising therapeutic options in myeloma; and a phase I trial and correlative sciences study in collaboration with Chiron Corp., of an FGFR3 inhibitor.