IMS 2026: What If the Next Breakthrough in Myeloma Isn't a New Treatment, But a New Way of Understanding the Disease?

For decades, multiple myeloma was considered an incurable disease. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 36,000 people will be diagnosed in 2026, and roughly 10,850 will die from it. But what if the next major shift doesn't come from a new drug — but from a more precise way of understanding the disease we already know, and finally being able to say when it's cured?

That question sits at the heart of the 23rd International Myeloma Society (IMS) Annual Meeting & Exposition, taking place September 23–26, 2026, at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow, Scotland. More than 3,000 researchers and clinicians from over 75 countries will examine more than 635 abstracts and 35 late-breaking presentations across four thematic sessions: newly diagnosed myeloma, treating first relapse, blood-based diagnostic technology, and immune monitoring and toxicity prevention.

This is a field being redrawn in real time

says Dr. Philippe Moreau, President of the International Myeloma Society. Immunotherapies once reserved for late-line treatment are moving toward the front line, cell therapies are being generated inside the patient's own body, and — for the first time — there is serious scientific work underway to define and measure cure.

The science in the spotlight

Among this year's most anticipated presentations:

• Predicting cure: a large study defines an ultra-low-risk group of patients — based on sustained MRD-negativity, genomic risk, and disease stage — who fare exceptionally well after stopping therapy.

• In vivo CAR-T (IASO206): the first proof-of-concept for a CAR-T made inside the body from a single infusion, with no leukapheresis or manufacturing required.

• Dual-targeting and trispecific therapies: new antibodies and CAR-T constructs designed to hit two myeloma targets at once, reducing the antigen loss that drives relapse.

• Fixed-duration treatment (CAMMA 1): a time-limited bispecific antibody regimen producing remissions that continue well after treatment ends.

From treating myeloma to measuring it

Advances in therapy have transformed outcomes: a growing number of patients now achieve deep, lasting remissions. The challenge today is no longer developing another therapy — it's understanding what happens after treatment works. Instead of asking only "is the treatment working?", clinicians can increasingly ask: 

How deeply has the disease been eliminated — and what does that mean for the patient's future?

The answer to the biggest question: can cure be defined? is not yet simple. But as the data arriving in Glasgow show, researchers are, for the first time, building the scientific evidence needed to distinguish between temporary disease control and truly durable remission.

A mission beyond four days in Glasgow

The International Myeloma Society is the only global society focused exclusively on myeloma research and clinical care. It represents thousands of experts in more than 60 countries and has provided $18.5 million in research funding, with a particular focus on access to care in low- and middle-income countries and on supporting early-career researchers — through initiatives such as the IMS Translational Research Award, the IMS Career Development Award, and educational programmes like IMSound.

Getting to Glasgow with Localrydes

With more than 3,000 delegates converging on the Scottish Event Campus from over 75 countries, reliable transportation becomes part of the conference experience itself. 

At LocalRydes, we support attendees arriving from abroad with chauffeur and delegation transfer services — airport pickups, hotel transfers, and group logistics — so delegates can keep their focus on the science, not the schedule.

So, what is the answer?

What if the next breakthrough in myeloma isn't simply a new treatment, but a new way of understanding the disease? 

The evidence arriving in Glasgow in 2026 suggests it's already happening — in ultra-low-risk groups defined by sustained MRD negativity, in CAR-T generated inside the body, in multi-targeted immunotherapies, and in fixed-duration regimens that sustain benefit long after treatment ends.

The future of myeloma care may not be just about treating better, but about understanding the disease deeply enough to know when to treat, how to treat, and eventually, when treatment is no longer necessary. 

That is the conversation unfolding in Glasgow, at IMS 2026.