Researchers presented pooled Harmony Alliance data at ASH supporting measurable residual disease (MRD) as a surrogate endpoint in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), arguing it could identify effective therapies years earlier than overall survival. Jesse Tettero and collaborators showed that MRD status at the end of treatment correlated with long-term outcomes across 1,858 pooled patients and suggested regulatory acceptance could enable accelerated approvals. MRD refers to highly sensitive molecular or flow‑cytometry assays that detect residual leukemia cells below standard detection limits; regulators have used MRD as a surrogate in other hematologic malignancies. The ASH presentations urged coordination with FDA and EMA to formalize MRD-based pathways and redesign trials to shorten timelines for AML drug development.