• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As U.S. Treasury intervened in the bond market, the Netherlands rushed 86 tons of gold out of America because of ‘geopolitical unrest’

2

He failed the military pilot eye test—so he built a $1 million-a-day traffic company and bought flying lessons. Now he’s Top Gun’s stunt pilot 

3

Despite being a multimillionaire, Suze Orman still cooks at home whenever possible—and says eating out is one of the biggest wastes of money

1

As U.S. Treasury intervened in the bond market, the Netherlands rushed 86 tons of gold out of America because of ‘geopolitical unrest’

2

He failed the military pilot eye test—so he built a $1 million-a-day traffic company and bought flying lessons. Now he’s Top Gun’s stunt pilot 

3

Despite being a multimillionaire, Suze Orman still cooks at home whenever possible—and says eating out is one of the biggest wastes of money
HealthDigital Health

A nonprofit just announced a 23andMe-like genomic sequencing model for a rare cancer—but it’s free

By
Sy Mukherjee
Sy Mukherjee
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Sy Mukherjee
Sy Mukherjee
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 14, 2020, 9:59 AM ET
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Subscribe to The Capsule, a daily brief monitoring advances in health care and biopharma, delivered free to your inbox.

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) is launching a new effort to provide cancer patients with personalized recommendations for dealing with their disease. The project, called CureCloud, resembles the model used by 23andMe and similar genomic sequencing companies, but it would be provided for free, the organization tells Fortune.

MMRF founder Kathy Giusti was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 1996. In the nearly 25 years since, she’s dedicated her life to helping patients with the rare blood cancer, which can weaken bones and the immune system at large. Giusti spent years as a pharmaceutical executive at companies like G.D. Searle and Merck. The combination of experiences has informed her strategy for spurring treatments for the rare cancer, which afflicts about 33,000 Americans per year, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

The new CureCloud project amounts to a “crescendo of disruption” when it comes to multiple myeloma treatment, Giusti tells Fortune. After a blood draw at home by a phlebotomist, i.e. a blood lab technician, patients will receive a personalized report with advice on how to deal with their disease via the advent of genomic sequencing.

“With our support, anyone can now get sequenced,” says Giusti. “It doesn’t matter what your economic status is, we will sequence you if you raise your hand.”

The process was developed with the help of the Broad Institute and other partners, focused on creating a blood draw to make the genomic sequencing simple. The general approach speaks to Giusti’s longstanding belief that breaking down research silos, especially by expanding access and slashing costs, is critical to developing new cancer drugs.

“Patients get their own report sent back to them, and their clinician gets information as well,” she says. “So imagine the conversations the patients can have with their clinicians at that point.”

The CureCloud initiative required some $30 million to $40 million to fund and seeks to sequence the genome of 5,000 myeloma patients across the country. Those patients can participate in research programs meant to help discover new treatment options for different types of myeloma while also gaining access to a personalized dashboard that tells them how other volunteers with a similar form of cancer are faring and what works best for them.

Since the MMRF’s formation, a dozen drugs for multiple myeloma have been approved, largely with the help of the organization’s shared and public data bank, and, according to Giusti, “we tripled the life spans of our patients.”

About the Author
By Sy Mukherjee
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Health


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in Health


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.