Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer that arises from the plasma cells in the bone marrow.[1] It is a diverse and complex disease that is unique to every patient,[1] and is incurable, with a mortality rate that is unfortunately still too high.[2] Around half of all newly diagnosed patients do not reach five-year survival, and almost one third of patients with multiple myeloma will die within one year of diagnosis.[3],[4]
Our vision is to change the expectations of what a multiple myeloma diagnosis means. We aim to do this by addressing individual patient needs and offering physicians options which they have not had before. Our ultimate goal is finding a cure, and we won’t rest until we do.
Multiple Myeloma in numbers
In Europe, more than 50,900 people were diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2020, and more than 32,500 patients died.[5]
Between 1996 and 2016, new cases of multiple myeloma increased by 126% globally, with Western Europe among the worst affected.[6]
Multiple myeloma is most common in people over 65 years.[8]
Our legacy in Multiple Myeloma
For nearly 20-years, Janssen Oncology has been dedicated to the multiple myeloma community, focused on developing tailored solutions and innovations that can change the face of this complex disease. In this time, we are proud to have delivered transformational therapies across the multiple myeloma treatment paradigm – therapies that have become the standard of care for many people living with multiple myeloma.
But we know patients are still waiting for new options and future hope. This is why our commitment to finding the best science to beat the disease is as strong today as it has ever been.
A multiple myeloma diagnosis is unique to each individual, which means we need more than just one option to face this complex disease. There is no panacea. One simple breakthrough treatment isn’t enough, when every patient is unique. That’s why we must continue to drive treatment innovation across a range of different treatment options, leveraging different modes of action, types of treatment and non-therapeutic solutions.
Mircea Cubillos
Vice President of Hematology at Janssen EMEA and Regional Commercial Strategy leader
Our Goal: Working Towards a Cure
We are constantly striving to build on our heritage, making sure we can deliver the right treatments, to the right patients, at the right time in their multiple myeloma journey. To do this, we challenge ourselves to break new ground, drive progress and lead the way.
Our short-term vision is to push the boundaries of science, offering breakthrough therapies that address individual patient needs. We also view finite treatment and sustained remissions as important future milestones towards our eventual goal of curing multiple myeloma.
Our Approach to Shifting the Treatment Paradigm
Multiple myeloma is a complex disease and is unique to everyone, requiring us to look beyond the product and focus instead on each individual patient.[1] We are intentional about expanding our portfolio to include treatments that employ a range of different modes of action to hit different cellular targets. We are creating first- and best-in-class tailored, comprehensive immunotherapy regimens that leverage all the tools at our disposal.
Our comprehensive clinical development programme includes the development of an anti-CD38 antibody and targeted immunotherapy approaches such as highly personalised CAR T-cell therapy and investigational off-the-shelf (immediately available) T-cell redirecting bispecific antibodies.
Our approach focuses on combining and sequencing therapies to overwhelm the disease as early in the treatment pathway as possible.
This is the foundation upon which we are building our path to cure.
Exploring the potential of MRD as a novel endpoint
This video was filmed in 2019, the patient's condition may have changed.
What is Multiple Myeloma?
Our Dedication to Improving Patient Outcomes and Experiences
At Janssen Oncology, our primary focus continues to be extending life, with quality of life for each individual patient remaining at the forefront of our minds. Being able to give patients more time to spend with their loved ones and create valuable memories, is a big part of what drives us forward in our work.
Through our work with patients and the oncology community, we understand that when someone receives the life-changing diagnosis of multiple myeloma the world stops. Having treatment and getting better becomes the priority, while the rest of life may be put on hold. But time and cancer don't wait. So why should patients? Time is precious when you have multiple myeloma. This is why we are focusing on innovations, including Time Keeper, that help give those living with multiple myeloma more time for life.
