The International Myeloma Foundation Presents the Kyle Lifetime Achievement Award to Mario Boccadoro, M.D., of the University of Torino, Italy

The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) - supporting research
and providing education, advocacy and support for myeloma patients,
families, researchers and physicians - today presented the sixth
annual Robert A. Kyle Lifetime Achievement Award to Mario Boccadoro,
M.D., Head of the Hematology section of the Oncology division at the
University of Torino. Professor Boccadoro created the Italian Myeloma
Study Group (MSG), the first myeloma research consortium in Italy and
among the first such groups in Europe. The Kyle Lifetime Achievement
Award honors the physician who most exemplifies a singular compassion
to patients with myeloma and dedication to their treatment.

The award was presented February 6, 2008 during a special award
ceremony given in Prof. Boccadoro´s honor at the Palazzina di Caccia
Stupinigi. This historic venue built in 1729 for King Vittorio Amedeo
II was a perfect setting for such a prestigious event. The VI Annual
Robert A. Kyle Lifetime Achievement Award dinner coincided with the
European Trialist Forum on blood cancers which also took place in
Torino.

Under Prof. Boccadoro´s direction, the MSG has conducted a series
of pivotal clinical trials including pioneering work on stem cell
transplantation, and studies covering the range of promising novel
agents: thalidomide, REVLIMID(R), and VELCADE(R). Among Prof.
Boccadoro´s recent accomplishments are combining melphalan/prednisone
(MP) with thalidomide, a regimen he developed with Antonio Palumbo
that is achieving excellent results. More recently his work has laid
the groundwork for combining REVLIMID with MP, a regimen that appears
to be even more effective in studies now underway.

"Mario has had a remarkable and productive career, and his work
exemplifies the commitment to patient care and improving patient
outcomes that are the qualities recognized by this award," said Brian
G.M. Durie, M.D., chairman and co-founder of the IMF. "His dedication
to research and his numerous contributions to improving patients´
lives mirror the admirable pursuits of Dr. Robert A. Kyle, for whom
this award is named."

Prof. Boccadoro began his association with myeloma in 1978 when,
as a post-doctoral fellow in Brussels he began working with Prof.
Benjamin Van Camp, one of the early researchers in the field.
Subsequently, he was appointed assistant professor at the University
of Torino in the department of Prof. Allessandro Pileri, a noted
researcher in the area of multiple myeloma. In the early 1980s, Prof.
Boccadoro spent two years at the Arizona Cancer Center in Tucson as a
visiting investigator where he worked with Dr. Durie and Dr. Sydney
Salmon, co-developers of the Durie/Salmon Staging System for myeloma.
Since 2000, he has been Professor and Head of the Hematology section
of the Oncology division at the University of Torino.

Prof. Boccadoro´s well-respected trials have been published in
major journals including, The New England Journal of Medicine, Blood
and the Journal of Clinical Oncology. He is a member of numerous
professional societies both in Europe and in the United States.

The prestigious award is named after Dr. Robert A. Kyle, noted
physician and founder of the Myeloma and Related Diseases Research
Group at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Kyle himself was
the first recipient of the award in 2003. Subsequently, the award has
been presented to Dr. Bart Barlogie of the Myeloma Institute for
Research and Therapy, Dr. Kenneth Anderson of the Dana Farber Cancer
Institute, Dr. Brian G.M. Durie of the Cedars Sinai Comprehensive
Cancer Center, and Prof. Dr. Heinz Ludwig, of the Center of Oncology
and Hematology, Wilheminenspital, Vienna.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL MYELOMA FOUNDATION

The International Myeloma Foundation is the oldest and largest
myeloma organization, reaching more than 165,000 members in 113
countries worldwide. A 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to
improving the quality of life of myeloma patients and their families,
the IMF focuses in four key areas: research, education, support and
advocacy. To date, the IMF has conducted more than 100 educational
seminars worldwide, maintains a world-renowned hotline, and operates
Bank on a Cure(R), a unique gene bank to advance myeloma research. The
IMF can be reached at (800) 452-CURE. The global Website is
www.myeloma.org with a companion Website in Spanish at
www.myelomala.org.