The International Myeloma Foundation has launched a U.S. clinical research network with Johnson & Johnson as its first industry partner, aiming to bring trials to academic and community oncology settings.
The IMF announced the US Myeloma Network, or USMN, on Oct. 22. It says the network will support research across multiple myeloma care, including prevention, early intervention and treatment for relapsed or refractory disease. The foundation describes multiple myeloma as an incurable cancer that develops in plasma cells inside bone marrow.
Sarah Cannon Development Innovations, LLC, a contract research organization within Sarah Cannon Research Institute, is expected to help participating sites develop and operate trials. The IMF says the network is intended to ease obstacles to starting studies and expand opportunities to take part.
The foundation also plans education and community engagement adapted to different languages and cultures. It says the effort will help historically underrepresented and medically underserved communities make informed choices about research participation.
S. Vincent Rajkumar, a Mayo Clinic physician and IMF chairperson, said, “The future of myeloma depends on our ability to bring scientific innovation to patients more quickly and more equitably.”
The IMF says pharmaceutical sponsorships, grants and philanthropic donations will fund USMN. Payments to the foundation for study operations are directed toward operating costs, it says. The IMF says it does not manufacture investigational treatments or benefit from their marketing.
USMN studies are planned to appear on the IMF’s Clinical Trials Matching Engine, powered by SparkCures, and on ClinicalTrials.gov. The launch announcement did not name an initial study or enrollment date.
The American Society of Hematology Research Collaborative says its Multiple Myeloma Research Network began in 2023 and includes 12 academic medical centers. The group announced in August 2026 that four community oncology practices would join. The IMF has not described how USMN’s structure differs from that existing effort.
