BANGKOK, Thailand, Oct. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) announced that it will be holding its first-ever Asian Myeloma Network (AMN) awards ceremony this year, during the 7th Annual AMN Summit which will be held in the Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand from October 20-22, 2023.
The Asian Myeloma Network Distinguished Service Award was conceived to recognize and honor the lifelong achievements of deserving AMN myeloma specialists, who have made a considerable impact in the field of myeloma research, clinical trials, and patient support.
This year, the first-ever AMN Distinguished Service Awardee is Dr. Kazuyuki Shimizu—a hemato-oncologist; a member of the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) since 2000; and a former staff physician at Higashi Nagoya National Hospital.
A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.
“I am extremely grateful for being recognized by the IMF for my contribution to the study of myeloma biology and also for my relentless efforts to diagnose and treat myeloma patients,” said Dr. Shimizu.
“As the first awardee for the AMN’s Distinguished Service Award, Prof. Shimizu is uniquely deserving as a dedicated and accomplished clinician and myeloma researcher. He greatly assisted in the establishment of the Asian Myeloma Network by ensuring robust Japanese involvement and by leading discussions about structural and strategic plans for network activities. It is a great pleasure to congratulate Prof. Shimizu as the recipient of this prestigious award, unanimously endorsed by the AMN Executive Committee,” said IMF Co-Founder, Chairman of the Board, Chief Scientific Officer, and Chairman of the AMN Executive Committee Dr. Brian G.M. Durie.
“It is fitting that the first recipient is Dr. Kazuyuki Shimizu of Nagoya Japan, who is widely regarded as the dean of Asian myeloma," said IMF Senior Vice President of Global Affairs Daniel Navid.
Dr. Shimizu received his MD from the Nagoya University School of Medicine in Nagoya, Japan in 1972 and completed a fellowship in clinical immunology at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY.
Dr. Shimizu earned his PhD from the Nagoya University Post Graduate School in 1980. He was the director of the Nagoya City Midori General Hospital from 2006 until 2011, where he holds his current position as honorary director.
He was a professor in the Department of Multimodal Therapy for Multiple Myeloma, Aichi Gakuin University School of Dentistry between 2011 and 2013. He was also a senior expert physician at the hematology service of the Higashi Nagoya National Hospital.
Dr. Shimizu also served as a principal myeloma expert for the approval of thalidomide, denosumab, panobinostat, and serum free light chain assay in Japan.
Currently, Dr. Shimizu is working as a part-time physician at the Holy Spirit Hospital in Nagoya, where he continues to treat his patients.
Dr. Shimizu developed a laboratory method to enumerate immunoglobulin-secreting cells of different immunoglobulin class and type in peripheral blood and has published several peer-reviewed papers on the topic in Blood in 1980 and 1982. This method was a breakthrough technique because the quantitation of monoclonal immunoglobulin-secreting cells in the peripheral blood is a strong indicator of the prognosis of multiple myeloma and is now being done using flow cytometry.
Dr. Shimizu was the president of the Japanese Society of Myeloma (JSM) between 2008 and 2014, an organization that has around 500 member physicians specializing in myeloma, in which he has been appointed as an honorary member. He has helped publish myeloma management guidelines in collaboration with the members of JSM for the past 8 years (the first edition was published in 2004, second in 2008, third in 2012, and the most recent in 2016). He has helped publish a patient guidebook in collaboration with the IMF Japanese Myeloma Patient Association. In addition, he became the president of the 14th International Myeloma Workshop in Kyoto, Japan in April 2013.
Dr. Shimizu is a scientific advisor for the IMF and the European Myeloma Network (EMN); an AMN Executive Committee member; a member of the Waldenstrom’s award committee of the International Myeloma Society (IMS); and a former member of the IMS Board of Directors. He also serves several global and Japanese industries as an advisor.
According to IMF SVP Navid, “the Asian Myeloma Network's Executive Committee decided to launch the AMN Distinguished Service Award to recognize important contributions in scientific research and myeloma treatment in Asia.”
"The launch of the AMN Distinguished Service Award is an important milestone in the continued development of this important regional initiative. The AMN’s body of work—including clinical trials, basic myeloma research, physician training, and patient support—is becoming increasingly recognized. The AMN Distinguished Service Award provides a spotlight to honor leading Asian myeloma specialists,” added Mr. Navid.
The AMN Distinguished Service Awarding Ceremony will be held on Saturday, October 21 with IMF Co-Founder, Chairman of the Board, Chief Scientific Officer, and Chairman of the AMN Executive Committee Dr. Brian G.M. Durie presenting the award to Dr. Kazuyuki Shimizu.
Other speakers at the award ceremony include Dr. Masahiro Abe, who will highlight Dr. Shimizu's work in Japan; Dr. Shuji Ozaki, who will speak about Dr. Shimizu's influence on the younger generation of Japanese doctors; and Dr. Stephen Harding of the Binding Site (Fischer), who will speak about Dr. Shimizu's crucial role in securing Japanese government approval of the free light chain assay.
To learn more about the Asian Myeloma Network and its annual summit, visit Myeloma.org.
ABOUT THE ASIAN MYELOMA NETWORK
Established by the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) at a meeting in Singapore in 2011, the Asian Myeloma Network (AMN) is the first of its kind in the region and is comprised of myeloma experts from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand. The AMN has taken the lead in projects to assist IMF in providing physician education and patient support throughout Asia. Since its founding, the AMN has: created a unified database to assess the incidence of myeloma in Asian countries as a basis for establishing region-specific treatment management tools and strategies; launched and overseen clinical trials; enabled myeloma patients to gain access to the newest myeloma treatments; developed informational resource materials in local languages, especially for patients and caregivers; and engaged in collaborative studies.
ABOUT MULTIPLE MYELOMA
Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the bone marrow plasma cells — white blood cells that make antibodies. A cancerous or malignant plasma cell is called a myeloma cell. Myeloma is called “multiple” because there are frequently multiple patches or areas in bone where it grows. It can appear as both a tumor and/or an area of bone loss, and it affects the places where bone marrow is active in an adult: the hollow area within the bones of the spine, skull, pelvis, rib cage, and the areas around the shoulders and hips.
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL MYELOMA FOUNDATION
Founded in 1990, the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) is the first and largest global foundation focusing specifically on multiple myeloma. The Foundation’s reach extends to more than 525,000 members in 140 countries worldwide. The IMF is dedicated to improving the quality of life of myeloma patients while working toward prevention and a cure by focusing on four key areas: research, education, support, and advocacy. The IMF has conducted more than 250 educational seminars worldwide, maintains a world-renowned InfoLine, and in 2001, established the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG), a collaborative research initiative focused on improving myeloma treatment options for patients. In 2012, the IMF launched the Black Swan Research Initiative®, a groundbreaking research project aimed at curing myeloma. The IMF can be reached at (800) 452-CURE (2873). The global website is www.myeloma.org.
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