MMRF Accelerator Magazine Summer 2015 Edition | Page 20

An in-depth interview with Joan Levy Fueling the pipeline of drug development Joan Levy, Vice President of Research of the MMRF and MMRC We sat down with Joan Levy, Vice science during her time in academia and of the Multiple Myeloma Research President of Research at the Multiple then get closer to treatments during her Consortium to launch investigator- Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) time in pharma, at the MMRF she hit sponsored initiatives. and its clinical research arm, the Multiple the trifecta. Here, Levy is able to work Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC), with the best of the best in industry, to discuss her role and the revolutionary academia and government, all while research the Foundation is involved focusing on speeding the delivery of with to advance the discovery and new treatments to patients. speed the development of multiple Ultimately, Levy’s goal is to build a balanced pipeline of molecularly targeted, immune, and novel agents that will improve and extend the lives of myeloma patients. She does this by Today, Levy helps bridge the gap working with the clinical operations between translational research and team to ensure that the transition from Levy joined the MMRF eight years ago clinical development. She and the clinical trial concept to opening of the to focus more directly on patients. She Research team are building a robust trial at MMRC sites happens as quickly came with extensive academic and multiple myeloma clinical trial pipeline and efficiently as possible. Last year, industry experience, working in both by working closely with industry to the MMRF opened a record number oncology and osteoporosis. While she identify novel drugs and combinations of multiple myeloma clinical trials, and enjoyed being able to dig deep into the that may be a match for a company- Levy hopes to do so again this year. myeloma treatments. sponsored trial. Levy also works with investigators from the 22 sites 20 T HE MMRF.ORG