LOS ANGELES, June 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) is proud to announce the recipients of this year's Robert A. Kyle Achievement Award and Brian G.M. Durie Outstanding Achievement Award, which will be presented in an in-person awards ceremony today, June 8^th, at the 13^th Annual International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) Summit in Vienna, Austria. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, last year's awards ceremony was held virtually.

The Kyle and Durie Achievement Awards are presented each year to outstanding and deserving individuals who have made significant contributions in the field of myeloma research.

This year's Robert A. Kyle Lifetime Achievement Awardee is Hervé Avet-Loiseau, MD, PhD, who has been Head of the Laboratory for Genomics in Myeloma at the University Hospital Center of Toulouse, France for a decade. Dr. Avet-Loiseau is also the Head of the Hematology Laboratory at the University Hospital of Nantes, France since 2008. He is the current Chairman of Intergroupe Francophone du Myélome (IFM) and is highly involved in leading all biological studies.

Dr. Avet-Loiseau's research studies are mostly based "on the analysis of genetic/genomic abnormalities observed in malignant plasma cells" with the use of varying technologies, which include fluorescence in situ hybridization (FiSH), gene expression profiling, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays, and next-generation sequencing (NGS), as detailed by European Multiple Myeloma Academy (EMMA).

This year's Brian G.M. Durie Outstanding Achievement Awardee is Bruno Paiva, PharmD, PhD, who is co-director of the Flow Cytometry Platform and co-director of the Monoclonal Gammopathies Research Laboratory at the CIMA Universidad De Navarra in Pamplona, Spain with preferential dedication to multidimensional flow cytometry analysis of hematological malignancies. Dr. Paiva is also a key member of the i2TEAMM, which seeks U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) approvals for MRD testing as a surrogate response endpoint in myeloma clinical trials.

Dr. Paiva "has been the principal investigator or co-principal investigator in 12 Research & Development (R&D) projects funded through competitive calls from public or private entities and has established more than 15 R&D collaboration agreements with several pharmaceutical companies. His research laboratory has been at the core of more than 20 national and international clinical trials in multiple myeloma and acute myeloid leukemia," according to CIMA Universidad De Navarra.

Dr. Paiva's "research objectives are intrinsically related to the dual nature of his clinical and research laboratory: to provide state-of-the-art biomarkers for laboratory diagnostics through intensive basic and translational research. He prioritizes its research in monoclonal gammopathies such as multiple myeloma (MM), light chain amyloidosis (AL) or Waldenstöm's macroglobulinemia (WM), and such research can be classified into five well-defined areas: (1) Pathogenesis of MM, AL and WM; (2) Risk of transformation in non-IgM and IgM MGUS; (3) Circulating tumor cells (CTCs); (4) Minimal residual disease (MRD); and (5) Immune monitoring." CIMA Universidad De Navarra further states.

On the exceptional and outstanding work of the Kyle and Durie Achievement Awardees, IMF Chairman of the Board and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Durie has this to say: "We applaud their accomplishments and important contributions to improving the lives of myeloma patients. We hope that they and their work inspire the researchers who attend the IMWG Summit to aim even higher, to help us understand and ultimately find a cure for this disease."

IMF Patient, President & CEO Yelak Biru extends his warmest congratulations and appreciation to this year's Kyle and Durie Achievement Awardees: "On behalf of the International Myeloma Foundation and patient communities worldwide, thank you for your scientific rigor and research to accelerate understanding of the biology of myeloma, and for your vast contributions to myeloma research."

The Robert A. Kyle Lifetime Achievement Award honors individuals whose work have resulted in significant advances in research, treatment, and care of myeloma patients. Dr. Robert A. Kyle (Mayo Clinic—Rochester, MN) is a world-renowned myeloma expert whose "groundbreaking research has led to the discovery of significant hematologic entities—monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM)," states the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

The Brian G.M. Durie Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes excellent achievements in multiple myeloma research. Professor of Medicine, Hematologist/Oncologist, and Honoree MD at the University of Brussels, Dr. Brian G.M. Durie is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Scientific Officer of the IMF. Dr. Durie is also the Chairman of the IMWG and leads the IMF's Black Swan Research Initiative^®(BSRI).

Founded in 1990, the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) is the first and largest global foundation focusing specifically on multiple myeloma. The Foundation's reach extends to more than 525,000 members in 140 countries worldwide. The IMF is dedicated to improving the quality of life of myeloma patients while working toward prevention and a cure by focusing on four key areas: research, education, support, and advocacy. The IMF has conducted more than 250 educational seminars worldwide, maintains a world-renowned InfoLine, and in 2001, established the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG), a collaborative research initiative focused on improving myeloma treatment options for patients. In 2012, the IMF launched the Black Swan Research Initiative^®, a groundbreaking research project aimed at curing myeloma. The IMF can be reached at (800) 452-CURE (2873). The global website is www.myeloma.org.

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SOURCE International Myeloma Foundation