New Survey Reveals the Majority of Myeloma Patients That Undergo Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) Testing Find a Clear Clinical or Emotional Benefit from Results
21 November 2022 - 11:30PM
GlobeNewswire Inc.
Adaptive Biotechnologies Corporation (Nasdaq: ADPT), a commercial
stage biotechnology company that aims to translate the genetics of
the adaptive immune system into clinical products to diagnose and
treat disease, and HealthTree Foundation, a patient-driven,
501(c)(3) non-profit organization that empowers patients at each
step of their disease journey, today announced findings from a new
survey of 635 U.S. multiple myeloma patients which revealed
important insights about the value of minimal residual disease
(MRD) testing from the patient’s perspective. Notably, 96% of
respondents who self-reported having used MRD testing found the
testing useful or very useful. However, though the patients who
have had an MRD test saw a clear clinical and emotional benefit
from using this tool, 53% of all survey participants reported not
using the test or were unsure if they had the test, underscoring
the need for more education.
“MRD testing can benefit both multiple myeloma patients and
providers, not only enabling precise monitoring of disease burden,
which can help guide patient management, but also allowing patients
to feel informed and empowered in the face of a diagnosis that
introduces overwhelming uncertainty into their lives,” said Susan
Bobulsky, Senior Vice President, Diagnostics, Adaptive
Biotechnologies. “We’re proud to work with HealthTree Foundation to
assess and learn from real-world patient experiences with MRD
testing, so that we can address the gaps that remain in patient and
clinician education on this clinically relevant subject.”
MRD refers to the remaining number of cancer cells that are
present in a patient’s body during and after treatment, which may
eventually lead to recurrence of the disease. MRD testing can
provide meaningful benefits to patients with multiple myeloma when
used in clinical practice. MRD is a powerful and dynamic measure of
risk status, providing real-time insights into disease progression
and arming healthcare providers with data that can help them
develop a personalized care plan for patients.
The survey, which was designed and fielded by HealthTree
Foundation, sought to engage a large and representative sample of
patients in order to better understand current awareness, knowledge
and perceptions of MRD testing in the myeloma patient community.
The survey results revealed:
- Very high perceived value of MRD results among tested
patients, but many inconsistencies in patient access
- Of the 635 respondents, approximately 85% were
familiar with MRD testing, yet only 47%
self-reported having had MRD testing
- Importantly, for patients who had MRD testing, their
experiences were overwhelmingly positive, with 96%
finding the test useful and 60% finding it
extremely useful
- Among respondents who were confirmed to have had MRD testing
based on review of their medical records, 81% said
that MRD testing brought them comfort in their treatment journey by
keeping them consistently informed, and 78% said
that the results helped inform their provider’s treatment
decisions
- More than 90% of respondents who were
confirmed to have had MRD testing would recommend it to other
patients
- Gaps in clinician-delivered MRD education and results
sharing
- Half of respondents were only somewhat or less familiar with
MRD testing
- Of those who were familiar with MRD testing,
59% of respondents learned about MRD from their own
research, versus only 41% who learned about it
from their doctor
- Among respondents with validated medical records indicating
they had received MRD testing, 14% did not know
they had it or were unsure
- Strong desire for education and access to MRD insights
among untested patients
- Among respondents who were not familiar with MRD testing,
87% reported wishing that they had more
information regarding how many cancer cells remain in their body
during and after treatment
- Among this same group, 99% expressed a desire
to learn more about MRD
“HealthTree wants to help support myeloma patients to receive
their best treatments and care. A key part of that care is the use
of the most advanced diagnostics,” said Jenny Ahlstrom, Myeloma
Patient and HealthTree Founder. “The survey results help us
understand that there is more work to be done in educating the
patient community and their doctors about MRD testing and that
doctors and advocacy groups are their key points of contact for
that information.”
The survey, which was supported by Adaptive, was conducted by
HealthTree Foundation between September 28 - October 31, 2022. For
more information about the uses and benefits of MRD testing, visit:
https://healthtree.org/myeloma or clonoSEQ.com.
About Multiple Myeloma Multiple myeloma is a
rare type of blood cancer that develops in bones and other areas of
the body. Multiple myeloma results when certain cancerous cells,
called myeloma cells, build up in the bone marrow. Multiple myeloma
is a disease with lots of ups and downs - for some people it
appears to have gone away, and then returns. Any amount of residual
disease may mean there is an increased risk that a patient’s
multiple myeloma could worsen. Routine monitoring of a patient’s
cancer status with diagnostic testing, such as minimal residual
disease (MRD) testing, can help to monitor a patient’s cancer
levels and may help to inform treatment decisions.
About Minimal Residual Disease (MRD)Minimal
residual disease, or MRD, refers to the number of cancer cells that
remain during and after cancer treatment. MRD testing provides
extensive benefits to patients with multiple myeloma as the
diagnostic is used to provide insights on cell changes at a
microscopic level about disease status, progression and recurrence.
Importantly, MRD testing arms healthcare providers with the precise
data that is necessary to develop a personalized treatment plan and
prognosis post-therapy for patients. There are different types of
MRD testing methods, but next-generation sequencing (NGS) assays
are extremely sensitive with the ability to detect a single cancer
cell among a million healthy cells.
About HealthTree FoundationHealthTree
Foundation is a patient-driven, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
that empowers patients at each step of their disease journey.
Myeloma and AML patients can access the foundation's resources for
free and will be expanding to other blood cancers in the near
future. The resources include HealthTree Cure Hub, an online
community tool that helps patients explore their best treatment
options, find clinical trials based on their stage of disease and
lab values, and contribute their de-identified data to accelerate a
cure. Other HealthTree tools include a learning management platform
called HealthTree University, a HealthTree Coach mentoring program,
disease news sites, community webinar events and a specialist
directory. Jennifer Ahlstrom and her husband Paul founded the
HealthTree Foundation which provides patient education, advocacy
and research funding for multiple myeloma and AML.
About Adaptive BiotechnologiesAdaptive
Biotechnologies (“we” or “our”) is a commercial-stage biotechnology
company focused on harnessing the inherent biology of the adaptive
immune system to transform the diagnosis and treatment of disease.
We believe the adaptive immune system is nature’s most finely tuned
diagnostic and therapeutic for most diseases, but the inability to
decode it has prevented the medical community from fully leveraging
its capabilities. Our proprietary immune medicine platform reveals
and translates the massive genetics of the adaptive immune system
with scale, precision and speed. We apply our platform to partner
with biopharmaceutical companies, inform drug development, and
develop clinical diagnostics across our two business areas: Minimal
Residual Disease (MRD) and Immune Medicine. Our commercial products
and clinical pipeline enable the diagnosis, monitoring, and
treatment of diseases such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, and
infectious diseases. Our goal is to develop and commercialize
immune-driven clinical products tailored to each individual
patient.
ADAPTIVE MEDIA Mary Pat Lancelotta, Senior
Vice President, Corporate Affairs and
Communications206-600-6702 media@adaptivebiotech.com ADAPTIVE
INVESTORS Karina Calzadilla, Vice President, Investor
Relations 201-396-1687 Carrie Mendivil, Gilmartin
Group investors@adaptivebiotech.com
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