Data from MMRF Landmark CoMMpass Study Validated as Unparalleled in Cancer Research at 63rd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting

NORWALK, Conn., Dec. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) announced that new insights related to novel targets, risk assessment, and precision medicine approaches generated through the use of the MMRF landmark CoMMpass Study will be presented at the 63^rd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition. In total, ASH will feature 33 presentations developed through the work of more than 200 researchers from 180 institutions all using the CoMMpass data.

The MMRF initiated the CoMMpass Study more than ten years ago to address the need for a large, comprehensive, genomic and clinical data set that was publicly available to researchers to realize the potential of precision medicine. It has now become one of the largest longitudinal genomic datasets of any cancer and the source of more than 150 myeloma scientific publications and abstracts. The insights generated by CoMMpass have led to groundbreaking discoveries that have transformed the research community's understanding of myeloma at a genomic level. The MMRF is now working with five institutions (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Emory University, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, and Washington University, St. Louis) on a companion project called Immune Atlas that will complement the genomic and clinical data in CoMMpass with high dimensional immune profiling of the same patients, creating standards and generating robust immune data to further advance precision medicine. The initial findings from this effort are among the 33 abstracts.

"CoMMpass has exceeded our expectations as a wellspring for insightful research and to generate new hypotheses that we can test in the laboratory and at the bedside," said Hearn Jay Cho, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, the MMRF. "CoMMpass continues to shape our research agenda, particularly in precision medicine clinical trials such as MyDRUG and MyCheckpoint, and this will only expand with the addition of Immune Atlas. We are also looking beyond CoMMpass by building our next major data set with the MMRF CureCloud."

The MMRF CureCloud was launched in 2019 as a next generation data source capturing genomic sequencing data through blood samples of newly diagnosed myeloma patients and longitudinal clinical data shared by patients through their electronic medical records. The first abstracts derived from CureCloud are being presented at ASH representing the next game-changing longitudinal study in myeloma research. Unique to CureCloud is that it was specifically designed to not only power research, but also as an immediate and ongoing resource to clinicians and patients. Each CureCloud patient receives their personal genomic data report, learns about possible clinical trials, and will have ongoing access to new and evolving insights related to their disease. The database is designed to continuously identify insights from patients that will help other patients gain deeper understanding of possible treatment paths as more patients join the program. 

"Our mission is to deliver a cure for each and every myeloma patient. We know that getting there will require access to data to progress the development of precision medicines. This is our ultimate focus as we share data with our research collaborators and patients every day," said Michael Andreini, President and CEO, the MMRF. "The data and insights we share are generating a deeper understanding of the biology of myeloma and helping to identify new targets and markers for risk and disease progression. They are also driving the discovery and delivery of more precise treatments for all patients as we pursue a world without myeloma." 

For complete data on MMRF abstracts being presented at the 63^rd ASH Annual Meeting please contact C.J. Volpe at [email protected]

About the MMRF CoMMpass Study^SM 
The MMRF CoMMpass Study is a longitudinal study of patients with newly diagnosed active multiple myeloma. The goal is to map the genomic profile of each patient to clinical outcomes to develop a more complete understanding of patient responses to treatments. A cornerstone of the MMRF's Personalized Medicine Initiative, the study is collecting and analyzing tissue samples, clinical data and genetic information from 1,000 newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients for at least eight years. The CoMMpass Study was made possible by a $40M investment by the MMRF.

The MMRF CoMMpass Study opened in July of 2011 and now includes 1,150 patients from 76 sites in the United States, Canada and European Union. Data from the MMRF CoMMpass Study is made available to researchers via the MMRF's Researcher Gateway (http://research.themmrf.org), an online, open-access portal designed to make key genomic and clinical data available for additional study. The MMRF CoMMpass Study is being supported through a public-private partnership of patient donors and industry partners, including Takeda Oncology, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Janssen Diagnostics. Additional collaborating research partners include the Translational Genomics Research Institute, Van Andel Research Institute and GNS Healthcare. Please visit www.themmrf.org/research-partners/the-commpass-study to learn more about the study.

About the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF)
A pioneer in precision medicine, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) seeks to find a cure for all multiple myeloma patients by relentlessly pursuing innovations that accelerate the development of precision treatments for cancer. Founded in 1998 by Kathy Giusti, a multiple myeloma patient, and her twin sister Karen Andrews as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the MMRF has created the business model around cancer—from data to analytics to the clinic. The MMRF identifies barriers and then finds the solutions to overcome them, bringing in the best partners and aligning incentives in the industry to drive better outcomes for patients. Since its inception, the organization has collected thousands of samples and tissues, opened nearly 100 trials, helped bring 13 FDA-approved therapies to market, and built CoMMpass, the single largest genomic dataset for any cancer. Today, the MMRF is building on its legacy in genomics and is expanding into immunotherapy, as the combination of these two fields will be critical to making precision medicine possible for all patients. The MMRF has raised nearly $500 million and directs nearly 90% of the total funds to research and related programs. To learn more, visit www.themmrf.org.

Media Contact:
C.J. Volpe
Director, PR and Communications
Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF)
203.652.0453
[email protected]

SOURCE MMRF