Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC) Honors Dr. Andrzej Jakubowiak, University of Michigan with 2008 Center of the Year Award

NORWALK, Conn.-- December 08, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE)--The Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC) today announced that it has awarded the University of Michigan Cancer Center and Andrzej Jakubowiak, MD, PhD, the 2008 MMRC Center of the Year Award. The MMRC Center of the Year Award recognizes the outstanding efforts of an MMRC Member Institution and its respective principal investigator in advancing the field of multiple myeloma research and drug development.

In awarding the 2008 MMRC Center of the Year Award, the MMRC evaluated its Member Institutions using a cutting-edge “scorecard” whose metrics include the number of clinical trials launched, the speed at which clinical trials were opened, and the number of patients enrolled in the clinical trials within the Consortium. MMRC Member Institutions were also evaluated for their contribution of new ideas and institutional engagement in the MMRC.

Under the leadership of Dr. Jakubowiak, Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Multiple Myeloma Program at the University of Michigan, the Michigan site has opened numerous clinical trials to date and has consistently met or exceeded patient enrollment forecasts. Dr. Jakubowiak was also recognized for his exemplary stewardship of pharmaceutical and biotech industry partners – most notably his role in facilitating the first MMRC study testing four FDA-approved drugs in combination to treat untreated multiple myeloma patients – and his focused leadership in advancing novel pre-clinical and clinical research ideas.

“We are incredibly proud to be part of the MMRC, a consortium that is committed to advancing high-quality, innovative clinical trials of today’s most promising compounds and novel combinations,” said Dr. Jakubowiak. “I have no doubt that their commitment to results, as evidenced by the Center of the Year Award, will lead to the development of the next generation of treatments for multiple myeloma.”

The MMRC Center of the Year Award bestows a one-year grant to fund a full-time on-site Multiple Myeloma Project Coordinator to support the clinical trials conducted within the MMRC network.

"The MMRC Center of the Year Award recognizes the University of Michigan and, in particular, Dr. Jakubowiak’s exemplary commitment and leadership within the Consortium. They are a model for other MMRC Member Institutions and a true partner in our efforts to bring patients new effective treatment options,” said MMRC Founder and CEO Kathy Giusti.

About the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC)

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRC), a 509a3 organization, was founded in 2004 by Kathy Giusti, a myeloma patient and Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), to champion collaboration with and integration across academia and industry – while introducing high levels of accountability into the process from all involved in research and development.

At the core of the MMRC model is an Executive Committee, based in Norwalk, Conn., which provides strategic scientific and clinical oversight of the MMRC's drug development projects. The MMRC's 15 Member Institutions include prominent academic multiple myeloma research centers in North America: City of Hope, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute, the Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Indiana University, Mayo Clinic, Ohio State University, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, St. Vincent's Comprehensive Cancer Center of Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers of New York, University Health Network (Princess Margaret Hospital), University of Chicago, University of Michigan, University of California – San Francisco, and Washington University. The MMRC model also includes a Tissue and Data Bank, which serve as a "bridge" between laboratory and clinical research conducted by the MMRC members and a vital resource in advancing MMRC clinical trials and correlative science studies.

As a results-driven organization, the MMRC has facilitated to date 16 Phase I and II clinical trials of the most promising, novel, investigational compounds and new combination treatment approaches. MMRC clinical trials are designed to include correlative studies, to better understand what drugs are most effective in treating various sub-groups of patients with myeloma, laying the foundation for the eventual development of additional treatment options for patients with myeloma.

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