The Need

Understanding multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma is the second most common haematological cancer worldwide.⁶ In 2022, the World Health Organisation (WHO)/Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) estimated that ~543,000 people live with multiple myeloma globally⁷, and ~188,000 new cases of multiple myeloma were diagnosed globally, with ~121,400 deaths.⁸ Approximately, 42% of patients will die within 5 years.⁹

The leading commercial multiple myeloma market is North America with an estimated 35,000 new cases and 15,100 deaths per year.¹⁰ Other key markets include Europe (~50,100 new cases and ~31,970 deaths) and Asia (~73,900 new cases and 53,800 deaths).¹¹ Myeloma Australia estimates that ~22,000 people are living with the disease in Australia at any one time¹¹, with around ~2,600 new cases diagnosed each year.¹⁰ Australia consistently ranks in one of the top five to ten countries globally with incidence rates of 7.9 patients per 100,000 persons.¹²

Key factors in multiple myeloma:

• Increased Prevalence: Current therapies can slow disease progression and extend survival as they have low cure rates, leading to an increasing prevalence of the disease
• Aging population: Given the risk of multiple myeloma is higher in older age groups (>60 years), an ageing population and increasing life expectancies may increase the incidence of the disease

Other key challenges:

One of the key challenges with fighting multiple myeloma and other cancers is that cancer cells can evade the immune system. In order to kill cancer cells, researchers have developed immunotherapies that enable the patient's immune system to identify and kill cancer cells. Given the limitations in durability and cure rates, there has been a surge in research and development to create more effective therapeutics. While this effort has led to the introduction of novel treatment options, multiple myeloma remains a cycle of remission and relapse and no cure.