Understanding Surrogate Endpoints

Surrogate endpoints are like shortcuts that researchers use to predict longer-term outcomes. Instead of waiting years to see if a treatment helps people live longer, they use shorter-term measures like MRD negativity or how many people respond to a treatment (overall response rate or ORR) to get an early idea of whether the treatment is working.

These measures give an early signal, but they don’t fully replace the need to see longer-term results like progression-free survival or overall survival.

By understanding these types of endpoints, you can see how they shape clinical trials and what they mean for the approval and use of new treatments.

Myeloma experts break down the pros and cons of surrogate endpoints in clinical trials here: