BioCentury
ARTICLE | Product Development

Following CoMMpass

How a patient-run study is influencing R&D and treatment in myeloma

December 14, 2015 8:00 AM UTC

Amidst a flood of promising data for hot targets, indications and technologies at this year's American Society of Hematology meeting, one collection of presentations stands out not only for the wide-reaching implications of their data, but also for how the data came to be. It is now apparent that CoMMpass - a massive clinical study in multiple myeloma that was conceived of and is led by patients - is influencing what drugs are developed and will influence how they are used after approval.

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) launched CoMMpass in 2011 to identify molecular drivers in MM with the goal of discovering new drug targets and treatment combinations that could result in better outcomes. The trial is a public-private partnership with four industry members (see "Building CoMMpass," page 4)...