NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) – supporting research and providing education, advocacy and support for myeloma patients, families, researchers and physicians – today said updated data from the Phase II BiRD study provide a new option for newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma whether or not they proceed to stem cell transplant. The findings show a superb overall response rate of 90.3%. 38.9% of the patients achieved a complete response (using EBMT criteria) and 73.6% achieved a 90% or greater decrease in m-protein levels. Using the new International Myeloma Working Group Criteria - recently developed to better define the magnitude of a complete response by a panel of experts led by Brian G.M. Durie, M.D., chairman and co-founder of the IMF - 30.6% of the patients achieved this new stringent complete response* (sCR). The findings have been published in the online version of the journal BLOOD.
