International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) Will Honor Researchers Prof. Philippe Moreau, MD, and Dr. Sigurdur Kristinsson on June 12 at Annual Summit in Stockholm

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif., May 23, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) today announced the recipients of the 2018 IMWG Awards, given annually by the International Myeloma Working Group, a research division of the IMF. The awards will be presented during the annual IMWG Summit in Stockholm, June 11–13, where more than 100 international blood cancer experts will gather to collaborate on new treatment guidelines and ongoing research projects leading to a cure.

Professor Philippe Moreau, MD, Head of the Hematology Department at the University Hospital of Nantes, France, and Professor of Clinical Hematology at Nantes Faculty of Medicine, will receive the Robert A. Kyle Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Sigurdur Yngvi Kristinsson, Professor of Hematology at the University of Iceland and specialist in internal medicine and hematology at the Landspitali University Hospital in Iceland, will receive the Brian G.M. Durie Outstanding Achievement Award.

The Kyle Award, named for world-renowned myeloma expert Dr. Robert Kyle, honors individuals whose work has resulted in significant advances in research, treatment, and care of myeloma patients around the world.

"Our honorees have continued to build on the work of Dr. Kyle, which has resulted in so many promising advances," said IMF President and CEO Susie Durie. "We applaud their accomplishments and important contributions to improving the lives of myeloma patients."

Prof. Moreau heads a unit focusing on early phase I and phase II trials in clinical hematology and is a member of the administration council of the Intergroupe Francophone du Myélome (IFM), for which he served as chairman from 2006 through 2009.

"Receiving the Kyle Award is a great honor," said Prof. Moreau. "This prize is one of the most prestigious rewards that a physician working in the field of multiple myeloma may expect. The previous awardees are famous and respected for their contributions to multiple myeloma research and treatment. Receiving the award is accompanied by a feeling of pride, but is also a reminder of the duty of care towards our patients."

Dr. Kristinsson will receive the inaugural Brian G.M. Durie Outstanding Achievement Award, which is named for IMF Chairman Dr. Brian Durie and recognizes excellence in myeloma research. Dr. Kristinsson serves as principal investigator for Iceland Screens, Treats, or Prevents Multiple Myeloma (iStopMM^®), a population-based MGUS and multiple myeloma screening study. He has led several large population-based myeloma studies in collaboration with major research centers and is a frequent speaker at international hematology conferences.

"Myeloma patients around the world have benefited—and will continue to benefit—from the important research contributions made by Prof. Moreau and Dr. Kristinsson," said Dr. Durie. "Their work brings us closer to finding the pathway to a cure."

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL MYELOMA FOUNDATION 
Founded in 1990, the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) is the first and largest foundation focusing specifically on multiple myeloma. The Foundation's reach extends to more than 525,000 members in 140 countries worldwide. The IMF is dedicated to improving the quality of life of myeloma patients while working toward prevention and a cure by focusing on four key areas: research, education, support, and advocacy. The IMF has conducted more than 250 educational seminars worldwide, maintains a world-renowned InfoLine, and in 2001, established the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG), a collaborative research initiative focused on improving myeloma treatment options for patients. In 2012, the IMF launched the Black Swan Research Initiative^®, a groundbreaking research project aimed at curing myeloma. The IMF can be reached at (800) 452-CURE (2873). The global website is www.myeloma.org. Follow the IMF on Twitter @IMFmyeloma.

CONTACT:
Debra Gendel [email protected] (310) 710-1903
Sapna Kumar [email protected] (818) 487-7455

SOURCE International Myeloma Foundation

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