Approaches to Increase Equitable Access to and Delivery ofQuality of Care with Bispecific Antibodies for Patients with
Multiple Myeloma Request for Proposals (RFP)
1.Introduction
The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) and Pfizer are pleased to collaborate to offer a grant
opportunity to support Quality Improvement (QI) projects that will advance the quality of care and bestpractices around treatment for patients with relapse/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) receiving
treatment with a bispecific antibody (BsAb).
About the International Myeloma Foundation
The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) is the first and largest global organization focusing
specifically on multiple myeloma. The IMF is dedicated to improving the quality of life of myeloma
patients while working toward prevention and a cure through our four founding principles: Research,Education, Support, and Advocacy.
About Pfizer Global Medical Grants
Pfizer Global Medical Grants (GMG) supports the global healthcare community’s independent
initiatives (e.g., research, quality improvement or education) to improve patient outcomes in areas ofunmet medical need that are aligned with Pfizer’s medical and/or scientific strategies.
Pfizer’s GMG competitive grant program involves a publicly posted Request for Proposal (RFP) thatprovides detail regarding a specific area of interest, sets timelines for review and approval, and uses
an expert review panel (ERP) to make final grant decisions. Organizations are invited to submit anapplication addressing the specific gaps in practice as outlined in the specific RFP.
For all quality improvement grants, the grant requester (and ultimately the grantee) is responsible forthe design, implementation, and conduct of the independent initiative supported by the grant. Pfizer
must not be involved in any aspect of project development, nor the conduct or monitoring of the quality
improvement program.
This RFP is being issued by both organizations. The IMF is the lead organization for review andevaluation of proposals. A review committee, led by the IMF, will make decisions on which proposals willreceive funding.
2.Background
Through a mutual desire to close gaps in care for myeloma patients, Pfizer and IMF have jointly issued
this RFP seeking proposals to improve quality through standardization of processes and education toreduce variability in outcomes where bispecific antibodies are utilized as a treatment in the community.
A successful project will incorporate quality improvement methods to overcome identified barriers toimprove care. These barriers include, but are not limited to, identifying clinical and treatment related
factors, patient-related psychosocial factors, racial and ethnic factors, socioeconomic factors, andhealthcare system or technological related barriers to patient care.
Quality improvement considers aspects of quality such as clinical competence, outcomes and processassessment, program evaluation, quality indicators and quality assurance. Quality improvement grants
help improve patient outcomes in areas of unmet medical needs. They should not be confused with

general research grants which are focused on the development or refinement of specific and defined
medical knowledge. Research projects answer questions about best practice, whereas QualityImprovement projects implement best practices.
Bispecific antibodies are novel immunotherapies that are both FDA-approved and under investigation inpatients with multiple myeloma. They appear to have an acceptable safety profile and promising efficacy,with the further potential benefit of being “off-the-shelf”. However, logistical coordination of care is apotential learning curve as these treatments transition to real-world and outpatient settings. Additionally,
there will be a need to educate health care teams, patients, and care partners regarding postadministration monitoring and to collaboratively manage side effects. A need may exist around
potentially expanding the care team to consider the prevention, early identification, and management ofside effects, including cytokine release syndrome (CRS), neurotoxicity, infection risk. Additionally, theintroduction of these novel bispecific antibodies creates a need to standardize coordination of care andshare best practices among community centers. Finally, there will be logistical considerations in ensuring
equitable access to all people with myeloma, such that outcomes are optimized for all, whether
disparities arise for reasons of geography, finances, or race.
3.Eligibility

Geographic Scope:

GlobalEligibility Criteria:•Academic, Community Cancer Centers, and healthcare systems(Principal Investigators from Academic Centers are encouraged toinclude a co-investigator from the community)•Patient Advocacy Groups•

Health care professional organizations and other organizations with amission related to health care improvement•

Health technology companies must partner with a health care deliveryorganization and the health care delivery organization must be thelead applicant

4.Proposals
Applicants are invited to submit a detailed quality improvement proposal into Pfizer’s web-based system
by June 1, 2023 (see Section 7 Submission Requirements). Researchers seeking funding fortherapeutic clinical trials projects will not be considered under this RFP.

5.Requirements

Date RFP Issued:3/31/2023

Clinical Area:

Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Areas of Interestfor this RFP:

The intent of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to support Quality
Improvement initiatives that will increase equitable access to anddelivery of quality care for patients with multiple myeloma in thecommunity.
Proposals in the following topic areas are strongly encouraged:•Ensuring continuity of care in patients receiving bispecific antibodies
for RRMM throughout the entirety of their care journey, including
managing transitions of care from the inpatient to outpatient setting•

Establishing a process for Adverse Events (AE) management andreporting (including training and anticipating, identifying, andmanaging AEs)

•Local or regional projects that identify areas for systematic
improvement and implementing customized/data driven solutions•

Improving processes for enabling equitable access to bispecificantibodies regardless of geography, race, or financial status•

Establish expert mentoring and support system between academic andcommunity centers to ensure appropriate patient selection and therapy
management with a bispecific antibody•

Ways to increase enrollment and retention in Clinical Trials with aparticular focus on under-represented populations.

•Innovative approaches to promote effective communication between
members across the care continuum (e.g., decision- making, careplanning, and/or patient monitoring). This includes community healthworkers, social needs navigators, or other means, that connect
patients to community-based organizations and resources (especiallyin practices serving low-income and/or socially vulnerable patient
populations).

•Novel technology solutions to improve the care of MM patients,including remote monitoring solutions.

•HCP education addressing bispecific antibody therapy
management, with focus on AE’s of special interest such as CRS,
ICANS, infections

Areas of Interestfor this RFP(continued):In addition to the topic areas above, we encourage all applicants toinclude a component that addresses disparities in access toequitable care within their proposal.
Furthermore, we encourage applicants to consider partnering withIMF as a strategy to accomplish the goals of the project.
Proposals in the following topic areas will be considered out-ofscope for this RFP:
•Clinical trials investigating new drug entities.

•

Clinical trials comparing drug entities.

GeographicScope:•GlobalTarget Audience
for the QI
initiatives:•Practicing HCPs and researchers.

•Patients with MM and their caregivers.

Expected
Approximate
Monetary Range ofGrant Applications:•There is at least $1,250,000 for funding of all projects.

•

The intent is to fund individual projects capped at $250,000 (directand indirect costs) although smaller, lower-costs projects areencouraged. Funding greater than $250,000 will be considered for
exceptional proposals with detailed budget justification.

•The maximum indirect (overhead) rate is 28% and must be included in
the total grant request amount. Indirect costs examples are noted insection 7 below.

•Applicants are required to disclose additional sources of funding forthis project and demonstrate that funding does not overlap.

•RFP release date: March 31, 2023•

Full Proposal Submission Deadline: June 1, 2023

Key Dates:

Please note the deadline is 5:00 pm Eastern Time•

Anticipated Grant Award Notification Date: July 30, 2023

•Grants will be distributed in-full following execution of a Letter ofAgreement and documentation of an IRB approval or waiver.
IRB approval or waiver must be received by December 31,2023 or risk grant cancellation.

•Period of Performance: December 2023 to December 2025
(projects may be shorter; 2-year project maximum)

Questions:•If you have questions regarding this RFP, please direct them in writing
to Haleigh Wolfe at hwolfe@myeloma.org for IMF related questions or
Pfizer’s Grant Officer, Amanda Kaczerski at
Amanda.Kaczerski@pfizer.com with the subject line “March 2023
Pfizer IMF MM Quality Initiative”.

How to Submit:•Please go to www.cybergrants.com/pfizer/QI and sign in. First-timeusers should click “REGISTER NOW”.

••

Select the following Competitive Grant Program Name: 2023 Onc G
IMF MM QI RFP
Select the following Area of Interest: Oncology – Hematologic•

Requirements for submission:•Complete all required sections of the online application referring tothe guide included in the Appendix.

•If you encounter any technical difficulties with the website, pleaseclick the “Need Support?” link at the bottom of the page.

IMPORTANT: Be advised applications submitted through the wrong
application type and/or submitted after the due date will not be reviewed
by the committee.

Review andApproval Process:Mechanism by which
Applicants will beNotified:•The IMF and Pfizer developed this RFP and the IMF has
independently established an external Scientific Review Committee
to determine funding decisions. This external peer review will utilize
a formal process to evaluate and select proposals of the highest
scientific merit. One representative from Pfizer will participate in thereview.

•All applicants will be notified via email by the dates noted above.

•Applicants may be asked for additional clarification during the review
period.

6.Terms and Conditions
1. This RFP does not commit Pfizer or their partners to award a grant or a grant of any particularsize if one is awarded, nor to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of a response to thisrequest.
2. If your grant is approved, your institution will be required to enter into a written grant agreementwith Pfizer. Please click here to view the core terms of the agreement. These terms have beendrafted to be balanced and reasonable and to further the goals of both parties. Negotiating
grant agreements requires significant resources, so please ensure that your institution (includingyour legal department) is able and willing to abide by these terms before proceeding withsubmission of your application as they will need to be accepted in their entirety.
3. This RFP is supported by Pfizer Inc. and, if approved, payment will be sent from the UnitedStates.
4. Payment will only be made to requesting Institution.
7.Submission Requirements
Applications will be accepted via the online portal listed in the How to Submit section. Full
Proposal documents should be no longer than 10-15 pages in length (12-point font and 1-inchmargins) excluding Organization Detail and References.
When uploading your Full Proposal please ensure it addresses the following*:
Goals and Objectives

Briefly state the overall goal of the project. Describe how this goalaligns with the focus of the RFP and the goals of the applicantorganization(s).
List the overall objectives you plan to meet with your project both interms of learning and expected outcomes. Objectives should
describe the target population as well as the outcomes you expect toachieve as a result of conducting the project.

Assessment of Needfor the Project andPreliminary Data

Please include a quantitative baseline data summary, initial metrics(e.g., quality measures), or a project starting point (please cite data on
gap analyses or relevant patient-level data that informs the statedobjectives) in your target area. Describe the source and method used
to collect the data. Describe how the data was analyzed to determinethat a gap existed. If a full analysis has not yet been conducted,
please include a description of your plan to obtain this information.

Target Audience

Describe the primary audience(s) targeted for this project. Indicate
whom you believe will directly benefit from the project outcomes.
Describe the overall population size as well as the size of yoursample population.

Project Design andMethods

Describe the planned project and the way it addresses theestablished need.
If your methods include educational activities, please describe
succinctly the topic(s) and format of those activities.

Innovation

Explain what measures you have taken to assure that this projectidea is original and does not duplicate other projects or materials
already developed.
Describe how this project builds upon existing work, pilot projects, orongoing projects developed either by your institution or otherinstitutions related to this project.

Evaluation andOutcomes

In terms of the metrics used for the needs assessment, describe how
you will determine if the practice gap was addressed for the target
group. Describe how you expect to collect and analyze the data.
Quantify the amount of change expected from this project in terms ofyour target audience.
Describe how the project outcomes will be broadly disseminated.

Health Equity

Explain how the project helps reduce health disparities in MMIMFPartnership

Discuss how the project may partner with the IMF to meet its
objectives

Anticipated ProjectTimeline

Provide an anticipated timeline for your project including project
start/end dates.

Additional Information

If there is any additional information you feel the reviewers should beaware of concerning the importance of this project, please summarize
here.

Organization Detail

Describe the attributes of the institutions/organizations/associations
that will support and facilitate the execution of the project and theleadership of the proposed project. Articulate the specific role of eachpartner in the proposed project. Letters of support from partnerorganizations are required to be submitted with the full proposal.

(Environment andMentors)

Budget Detail

The budget amount requested must be in U.S. dollars (USD).
While estimating your budget please keep the following items inmind:
Institutional overhead and indirect costs may be included
within the grant request. Examples include human resources
department costs, payroll processing and accounting costs,
janitorial services, utilities, property taxes, property and liability
insurance, and building maintenance as well as additional
project expenses such as costs for publication, IRB/IEC review
fees, software license fees, and travel. Please note: Pfizer
does not provide funding for capital equipment.
The inclusion of these costs cannot cause the amountrequested to exceed the budget limit set forth in the RFP.
It should be noted that grants awarded through GMG cannot
be used to purchase therapeutic agents (prescription or nonprescription).
Pfizer maintains a company-wide, maximum allowed overhead rateof 28% for independent studies and projects. Please click here fordetails.