IMW 2021 | Highlights from the IMW 2021 meeting

Constantine Mitsiades, MD, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, outlines the key areas of discussion during the International Myeloma Workshop 2021, highlighting key advancements in treatments, diagnosis and preclinical studies in the field of multiple myeloma. Dr Mitsiades talks on measurable residual disease (MRD) assessment, a key area of focus during the congress, and discusses the ongoing question of how it can be used to adapt therapeutic management of myeloma. Another key area of discussion is immunotherapy, with a plethora of clinical updates from the latest chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies and bispecific antibodies such as teclistamab and talquetamab. Dr Mitsiades also comments on updates from the FORTE trial (NCT02203643) and the ENDEAVOR trial (NCT01568866) both of which have indicated that triplets combining a proteasome inhibitor and immunomodulatory drug are adversely affected by chromosome 1q gain or amplification. Finally, Dr Mitsiades comments on preclinical studies exploring myeloma genomics, the role of the microenvironment and the use of bone marrow versus peripheral blood samples for molecular assessments of genomic lesions or other molecular features of immune cells or tumor cells. This interview took place during the 18th IMW 2021 congress.