IMS mourns passing of founder and myeloma pioneer Robert A. Kyle, MD
The International Myeloma Society (IMS), and the global myeloma community, mourn the passing of IMS founder and myeloma pioneer, Robert A. Kyle, MD, and honored his enduring legacy. Dr. Kyle’s lifelong career in advancing our understanding of myeloma and precursor conditions garnered him the moniker of “Father of Multiple Myeloma.” His numerous accolades include the IMS Waldenström Lifetime Achievement Award (1991), the David Karnofsky Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (2007), and the Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology (2008). Dr. Kyle, who served as the first IMS President in 2009, passed away on September 2, 2026, at age 98.

BCMA-directed bispecific antibody etentamig improves PFS in RRMM
Etentamig, a BCMA×CD3 targeted bispecific antibody, met dual primary end points of objective response rate and progression-free survival (PFS) in the phase 3 CERVINO trial, according to a recent press release. CERVINO is comparing etentamig to standard available therapies in patients with triple drug-class–exposed relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). Full results from CERVINO will be presented during the Plenary Session on Friday, September 25, 2026, at the 23^rd IMS Annual Meeting.

Real-world analysis highlights potential of talquetamab as effective bridging option
In a real-world cohort of patients with RRMM treated with BCMA-directed CAR T-cell therapy, bispecific T-cell engager-based bridging, especially with talquetamab, yielded the deepest responses. The one-year PFS was 87% among recipients of talquetamab bridging, compared to 52% of those who received chemotherapy-based bridging, according to the report in Haematologica.

CTC levels may help refine risk stratification in IMS-IMWG high-risk myeloma
In a cohort of over 350 patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM), presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) over a 0.38% threshold independently predicted worse PFS, with the shortest PFS seen in patients categorized as high-risk based on both the 2025 IMS-IMWG Consensus Genomic Staging criteria and high CTC levels. These findings were reported in Leukemia.

Spatial profiling tracks changes in myeloma tumor microenvironment
During the evolution of MM, the malignant cells that are initially distributed and scattered throughout the marrow become condensed into a dense tumor nodule, representing a spatially defined tumor microenvironment, according to findings from a spatial transcriptomics and imaging mass cytometry study published in Blood Cancer Discovery.