The Korean Blood Disease and Cancer Association (KBDCA) represented Korea at the Global Myeloma Action Network (GMAN) 2025 Summit, held last weekend in Milan, Italy.
The event, hosted by the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF), brings together multiple myeloma patient organizations and healthcare providers worldwide to share treatment updates and discuss global collaborations to improve patients' quality of life. It has been held annually since its inaugural meeting in 2013.
This year, under the theme “Accelerating Progress, Expanding Hope for Myeloma Patients Worldwide,” more than 20 countries -- including the U.S., Canada, Sweden, Australia, Portugal, and Argentina -- participated in the discussions. Korea was the only Asian country to participate.
On the first day, the session titled “Global Power of Patient Advocacy Focused on Myeloma Research and Policy” highlighted advocacy efforts. Dr. Park Jung-sook, a director at KBDCA, shared examples of advocacy efforts for multiple myeloma patients in Korea. She shared her experience of petitioning for new drug approvals and benefits with the collaboration of patients and medical professionals, highlighting the role of Korean patient organizations and the practical impact they can have beyond their limits.
In the next session, Professor Joseph Mikhael (Chief Medical Officer, IMF) spoke on “Global Landscape of Myeloma: Challenges & Opportunities.” The presentation highlighted the latest clinical trends on how early detection and regular follow-up of MGUS (monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance) can contribute to identifying high-risk patients and the need for aggressive treatment of patients with SMM (smoldering multiple myeloma).
Other topics discussed included the paradigm shift in multiple myeloma treatment to more patient-specific therapies, such as CAR-T cell therapy and bispecific antibodies, and various examples of access to medicines around the world.
On the second day, the winners of the SND Grants, named after Susie Novis Durie, founder of the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF), were announced. Armenia, Kenya, Poland, and Serbia were selected as recipients this year. The SND Grant supports organizations in GMAN member countries that run various programs for myeloma patients, including KBDCA, which was awarded in 2023.
"The GMAN Summit, which brought together patient organizations from around the world to share the current state of care in their respective countries and explore ways forward, reaffirmed the importance of patient-centered care and the need for global solidarity. We will continue to advocate for improved access to care and a better living environment for people with multiple myeloma," KBDCA said.
The International Myeloma Foundation's Global Myeloma Action Network (GMAN) is a coalition of myeloma patient organizations from more than 40 countries. It began as the Global Myeloma Alliance (GMA) in 2013 and has been operating under its current name, Global Myeloma Action Network (GMAN), since 2015. The GMAN Summit is held annually in different countries. It was held in Frankfurt, Germany, in 2023 and Madrid, Spain, in 2024.