Researchers presented pooled data at ASH supporting measurable residual disease (MRD) as a surrogate endpoint that could accelerate acute myeloid leukemia (AML) drug development, enabling earlier regulatory decisions and faster clinical cycles. The Harmony Alliance analysis of 1,858 patients showed MRD correlated with outcomes and could shorten time to approval by several years if regulators accept it as a valid surrogate. At the same meeting, multiple company and investigator trials reported that targeted agents and immunotherapies outperform traditional chemotherapy in various blood cancers, reinforcing shifts in standard‑of‑care and trial design. Presenters and speakers suggested MRD‑driven pathways can reduce patient exposure to ineffective treatments and speed access to active drugs. MRD measures small numbers of cancer cells remaining after therapy using sensitive molecular or flow‑cytometry methods; regulators historically reserve surrogate acceptance for endpoints with robust validation but are increasingly receptive in hematologic malignancies where survival gains are hard to measure quickly.