2026 Agenda
*All times are in EDT
Oct
Wed 21
Welcome reception
Oct
Thu 22
Welcome and introductions
Saad Usmani
Session 1: Defining high-risk multiple myeloma
Chairs: Lawrence Boise & Leif Bergsagel
- Plasma cell identity escape as hallmark of high risk myeloma: Francesco Maura
- Defining functional high risk myeloma: Moritz Binder
- A T-cell signature identifies patients with poor outcomes: Chng Wee Joo
- Ultra-high-risk MM – update from OPTIMUM: Martin Kaiser
- Defining a high-risk microenvironment: Faith Davies
- Genomic instability underlies high-risk multiple myeloma: Gareth Morgan
Panel discussion
Break
Session 2: Circulating and extramedullary disease
Chairs: Dory Abelman & Kylee Maclachlan
- Non-invasive bone marrow surrogates for high-risk multiple myeloma: Juan José Garcés
- Fragmentomic and genomic profiling of cell-free DNA to track tumor burden in multiple myeloma: Dory Abelman
- Uncovering of high-risk features of extra- and paramedullary disease by spatial profiling: Niels Weinhold
- Paramedullary/extramedullary myeloma dataset: Kylee Maclachlan
- Spatial and single-cell characterization of bone marrow and extramedullary disease in myeloma: Manoj Bhasin
- Transcriptional profile of EMD and PCL: Saurabh Zanwar
- Tackling extramedullary disease with immunotherapy: Darren Pan
Panel discussion
Lunch
Session 3: NSD2/MMSET disease subset
Chairs: Marta Chesi & Doris Hansen
- Targeting NSD2 and NSD2-dependent biology in t(4;14) MM: Benjamin Barwick
- Apoptotic dependencies in t(4;14) myeloma: Lawrence Boise
- The crossroads of t(4;14) breakpoints, NSD2 isoforms and patient outcome: Jonathan Keats
- Preclinical and translational data on a novel NSD2 inhibitor: Erin Flynt
Panel discussion
Session 4: When standard risk isn’t: identifying functional high-risk myeloma
Chairs: Gareth Morgan & Erin Meermeier
- Rethinking standard risk: biology of high-risk t(11;14) MM: Linda Baughn
- Identifying tumor-reactive T cells: toward immune-based risk stratification in myeloma: Simone Minnie
- When does the immune system lose control? Host immune fitness as a determinant of high-risk myeloma: Erin Meermeier
- Beyond the tumor: the role of chronic inflammation in MM progression: Marta Chesi
- Transcriptional profiling and functional high-risk: Martin Kaiser
Panel discussion
Break
Session 5: What we know about antigen loss
Chairs: Hearn Cho & Francesco Maura
- Mechanisms of BCMA and GPRC5D antigen escape: Holly Lee
- Detection and quantifying antigen loss – clinical implications of antigen loss: Ajay Nooka
- Myeloma cell “identity” and immunotherapy failure: Ross Firestone
- Beyond the antigen: immune determinants of response and resistance to CAR T cells and T cell engagers: Tarek Mouhieddine
Panel discussion
Session 6: New approaches for high risk – lab and clinic
Chairs: Hearn Cho & Doris Hansen
- BCMA targeting in vivo CART in the clinic: Simon Harrison
- Engineering strategies for in vivo CAR deliveries: Karlo Perica
- BMS 986453, a dual targeting BCMA x GPRC5D CAR-T for the treatment of RRMM: Doris Hansen
- Harnessing Ferroptosis for t(4;14) Multiple Myeloma Therapy: Mala Shanmugam
- Going to Great Lengths: Long Read Sequencing to Transform Myeloma Risk Stratification: Sarah Gooding
Panel discussion
Day 1 conclusions
Kylee Maclachlan
Faculty dinner
Oct
Fri 23
Welcome to Day 2
Kylee Maclachlan
Session 8: Designing studies in high-risk MM
Chairs: Saad Usmani & George Mulligan
- Overcoming “classical” HRMM by TCE-combinations: Currently available data and impact on study design: Marc Raab
- How can we do trials for newly diagnosed high risk myeloma: trial designs and challenges: Sham Mailankody
- Timing of immunotherapy in randomized trials for high-risk myeloma: Binod Dhakal
- MMRC Horizon Two – an adaptive platform trial for high risk newly diagnosed multiple myeloma: Hearn Cho
Panel discussion
Session 7: MAF/MAFB disease
Chairs: Francesco Maura & Leif Bergsagel
- Should dysregulation of all MAF transcription factors be considered equal?: Jonathan Keats
- Pathways to high risk disease: Gareth Morgan
- PDX models show the presence of convergent evolution high-risk subclones in patient samples: Brian Walker
Panel discussion
Break
Session 9: Treatment sequencing in high-risk MM
Chairs: Hamza Hassan & Faith Davies
- Early T-cell engaging therapy vs ASCT in high-risk NDMM and PCL: Shonali Midha
- Single versus multi-antigen targeting in high-risk MM: Tom Martin
- Using ‘n’ of 1 for hypothesis generation in high-risk MM: Saad Usmani
- Immunotherapeutic sequencing for newly diagnosed primary refractory high-risk myeloma: Ajay Nooka
Panel discussion
Session 10: The evolving role of MRD-guided treatment decisions
Chairs: Sham Mailankody & Tom Martin
- Reaching and sustaining MRD negativity in patients with high-risk multiple myeloma: Douglas Sborov
- MRD-guided and genomics-informed treatment adaptation in myeloma: Benjamin Diamond
- Novel MRD testing through telomere analysis: Sandra Mazzoni
Meeting conclusions and close
Saad Usmani
Lunch and adjourn
