Bruno Paiva, PhD, from the University of Navarra, Navarra, Spain, shares insights into multiple myeloma (MM) from the 23rd congress of European Hematology Association (EHA) 2018, held in Stockholm, Sweden, including the pathogenesis of the disease,and the role of the tumor microenvironment. Dr Paiva also discusses the novel therapies that are being introduced for the management of MM, such as immunomodulatory drugs and monoclonal antibodies, and how these can be combined with existing treatments in the future.