NEW CANAAN, Conn., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) and the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC) announced today that Nancy Sumberaz, a former pharmaceutical marketing executive with over 15 years of experience, has been named President. In a simultaneous leadership action, Executive Director of the MMRF, Scott Santarella took on the additional role of Chief Administrative Officer for the two non-profit organizations.
Sumberaz will report to Kathy Giusti, the founder of the MMRF and MMRC, who will retain her role as Chief Executive Officer. Sumberaz has extensive experience with groundbreaking therapeutic products and will be building on the organization's forward momentum in bringing innovative treatments to market for myeloma patients by aligning corporate and academic research efforts.
"Our commitment to bringing new drugs to market and to improving patient outcomes is unflagging," said Giusti. "Nancy's proven experience and personal dedication to the goals of the MMRF/MMRC make her a tremendous addition to our organization."
Before joining the MMRF/MMRC, Sumberaz served as the president of her own consulting business, Point Pharma, LLC, and as Global Oncology Director and U.S. New Business Development Director of Bayer Corporation. Previously, she held numerous leadership roles during her 11 years of service at Eli Lilly and Company, including Global Manager of Lilly's Centers of Aging and Women's Health.
Sumberaz attended Rutgers University, graduating in 1989 with a Bachelor's of Science in Pharmacy. She earned a Masters in Business Administration from St. John's University, New York in 1995.
In his expanded position, Santarella will continue to oversee MMRF's overall strategic operations, ensuring the achievement of the organization's mission and objectives as the leading innovator in the area of myeloma research. An experienced non-profit executive, Santarella also will be responsible for providing administrative, human resources, systems and facility management for both the MMRF and MMRC.
About Multiple Myeloma
The second most common hematologic (blood) cancer, multiple myeloma, which affects the plasma cell, represents one percent of all cancer diagnosis and two percent of all cancer deaths. Despite recent advances in treating myeloma, the five-year survival rate for multiple myeloma is only 32 percent.
Approximately 46,000 people in the United States are living with multiple myeloma and an estimated 14,600 new cases are diagnosed each year. Although the peak age of onset of multiple myeloma is 65 to 70 years of age, recent statistics suggest that incidence is increasing and at an earlier age.
About the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation
The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) was established in 1998 as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization by twin sisters Karen Andrews and Kathy Giusti, a newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patient, with the unique mission of accelerating the search for a cure for multiple myeloma. Today, the MMRF is the largest non-profit foundation dedicated to the single mission of accelerating the search for a cure for multiple myeloma. As the world's number one funder of myeloma research, the MMRF has raised more than $49 million to fund more than 140 research grants at 57 research institutions around the globe. Currently, the MMRF is funding more than 20 new compounds and approaches -- in pre-clinical testing and Phase I, II and III clinical trials -- that show promise in treating patients at all stages of the disease. For more information about the MMRF, please visit http://www.themmrf.org.
About The Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium
The Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC) is a 509a3 non-profit organization that integrates leading academic institutions to accelerate drug development in multiple myeloma. The organization was founded by Kathy Giusti, the CEO and founder of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), which is an early investor in the MMRC. The MMRC was created to rapidly address critical challenges in accelerating drug development and explore opportunities in the most promising areas of myeloma research. The MMRC is the only consortium to join academic institutions through membership agreements, customized IT systems, and an integrated tissue bank. For more information, please visit http://www.themmrc.org.
The Multiple Myeloma Research FoundationCONTACT: Jennifer Brennan of Fleishman-Hillard for The Multiple MyelomaResearch Foundation, +1-212-453-2414, brennanj@fleishman.com
