Dana-Farber Cancer Institute receives 2009 MMRC Center of the Year Award

The Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC) today announced that it has awarded the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and its clinical researchers, Kenneth Anderson, MD, and Paul Richardson, MD, with the 2009 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 investigators in advancing the field of multiple myeloma research and drug development.

In awarding the 2009 MMRC Center of the Year Award, the MMRC evaluated its Member Institutions’ myeloma clinical trial activities during 2009, including the number of clinical trials launched, the speed at which clinical trials were opened, and the number of patients enrolled in the clinical trials conducted within the Consortium.

“The MMRC Center of the Year Award recognizes the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and, in particular, Drs. Anderson and Richardson, for their outstanding commitment to innovation and results, and for their exemplary dedication to the patients that inspire our work,” said Kathy Giusti, Founder and CEO of the MMRC. “Their visionary leadership will undoubtedly fuel the continued success of the MMRC.”

As a founding member of the MMRC, the Dana- Farber Cancer Institute and its myeloma research program led by Dr. Anderson, Program Director and Chief, Division of Hematologic Neoplasias, of the Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, and Dr. Richardson, Clinical Director of the Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, have played a critical role in advancing novel pre-clinical and clinical research ideas through the MMRC network of myeloma treatment centers in North America. Under their leadership, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has opened numerous MMRC clinical trials to date and has consistently met or exceeded patient enrollment forecasts.

“Dr. Richardson and I are honored to be recognized with this distinguished award from the MMRC,” said Dr. Anderson. “We are proud to have helped to build such a collaborative and highly respected model for accelerating the development of new treatment options for multiple myeloma patients, and are committed to working with the MMRC to bring patients the next generation of therapies.”

The MMRC Center of the Year Award bestows a one-year grant to fund an on-site Multiple Myeloma Project Coordinator to provide project management support to enhance the efficiencies of the MMRC clinical trials conducted at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.