Uniting Our Voices in Multiple Myeloma: How We Are Working Together to Accelerate a Cure

While we take time as World Cancer Day approaches to acknowledge great strides in treatment innovation, we must also recognize that high unmet needs remain for many patients. For those living with multiple myeloma, every day matters in driving toward a cure, and each of us has something unique to contribute to this effort.

People with multiple myeloma are living longer than ever before but are burdened with the reality that they will always need additional treatment. Despite the introduction of novel therapies, the complex nature of the disease, coupled with gaps in access, means that I am hearing the stories of far too many patients who continue to suffer the physical and emotional toll of this disease. Cycling through the same stages of hope and grief multiple times can be overwhelming. I’m inspired by the optimism and resolve of these patients, and they fuel my determination every day to strive for a cure. ?

As we support patients through their journeys, we must do more than conduct studies, as research on its own does not cure cancer. Along with scientific advances, we need to act even more urgently and purposely to ensure the unique value of our medicines is realized. We must fight for the changes that need to occur to expand access to therapeutics and shift away from one-size-fits-all approaches to more customized and targeted strategies to help each patient.

While we innovate toward making multiple myeloma a manageable and ultimately, a curable disease, we must also collaborate with a diverse group of stakeholders to address the significant unmet needs patients face. We must unite to close the gap and bring effective medicines to patients faster, working with patient advocates to help broaden awareness of symptoms and prevention, clinicians to help define successful regimens and regulators to consider novel study approaches and endpoints. At Janssen, we recently kicked off a new effort in which we are engaging a multidisciplinary group committed to multiple myeloma innovation, like us, to determine how we can do just that.

I am committed to doing my part, like so many across our company to close the care gap for all patients, families and caregivers affected by this disease; to continue to spark hope for the future and change their stories for the better, and hopefully, one day include the word “cure.”