Every year, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting brings together cancer researchers, oncologists, and advocates to discuss the latest advances in cancer care. Some studies presented at ASCO may eventually change how multiple myeloma is treated. Others help answer important questions patients have been asking for years.
Here are the multiple myeloma study patients and advocates should be paying attention to at ASCO 2026.
SUCCESSOR-2: An oral medication more than doubles progression-free survival
Researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute presented the results from the Phase III SUCCESSOR-2 trial at ASCO 2026. The study found that for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), the addition of the oral drug mezigdomide to standard treatment with existing therapies carfilzomib and dexamethasone more than doubled progression-free survival (18 months vs 8.3 months for the control).
Mezigdomide is part of a new category of oral drugs known as CELMoDs (Cereblon E3 Ligase Modulatory Drugs). These drugs destroy the proteins the myeloma cells need to thrive, while also boosting your body’s own immune system to attack and kill the tumor.
The SUCCESSOR-2 trial results are exciting because not only do they prove that the therapy can improve progression-free survival by more than half, they also highlight an oral therapy that offers a safe option for at-home treatment.
MajesTEC-9 trial: A new standard of care for the second line and beyond
Researchers from Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute presented the results of MasjecTEC-9, a phase III randomized study evaluating teclistamab as a monotherapy for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, at ASCO 2026. The study authors reported that teclistamab, a B-cell maturation antigen (or BCMA) bispecific antibody, reduced the risk for progression or death by 71% and the risk for death by 40% compared to pomalidomide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone (PVd) or carfilzomib and dexamethasone (Kd).
These findings are significant because they may offer a powerful new second-line option, particularly for patients who have become resistant to anti-CD38 antibodies and lenalidomide (existing standard therapies).
Why this matters for patients
Large cancer meetings like ASCO can feel overwhelming, especially when headlines begin circulating before patients fully understand what the research may mean for them personally. Not every study will immediately change treatment, and early excitement does not always translate into a new standard of care.
But these meetings still provide an important glimpse into where multiple myeloma care is heading.
This year’s ASCO multiple myeloma research reflects several major themes shaping the future of treatment:
- More personalized treatment approaches for high-risk disease
- Continued focus on durable responses and long-term disease control
- Expansion of immune-based therapies
For patients, staying informed can help support more meaningful conversations with your healthcare team and a better understanding of how treatment options continue to evolve.
