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Maximilian Merz

Maximilian Merz, MD

Myeloma Specialist

Patient Reviews

Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Multiple myeloma
  • Light chain (AL) amyloidosis
  • Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)

My Specialties

  • General internal medicine
  • Hematology
  • Cellular therapy
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Dr. Merz's Office Information
Languages: English
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Get to Know Me

I am a board-certified hematologist-oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in New York.

I specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of people with acute and chronic leukemias, and Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas, with a major emphasis on multiple myeloma. I am an expert in CAR T cell therapy, autologous and allogeneic transplantation, as well as caring for patients with blood cancers in the hospital and the clinic.

I see patients at MSK Commack and the David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at MSK.

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A cancer diagnosis can cause anxiety not just for an individual but also their family. I treat every patient like they are a member of my family and consider their needs and wishes, as well as those of their caregivers. While it is important to focus on the latest cancer research to provide the best and latest care, taking a patient’s preferences into account and helping maintain their quality of life is as important, if not more important.

I have published more than 100 research articles on multiple myeloma in peer-reviewed journals, including Nature Medicine, Nature Cancer, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Nature Communications, Blood, Leukemia. I serve as an ad hoc reviewer for Nature Cancer, JCO, Blood, and others. I have co-authored multiple book chapters and the German guidelines for multiple myeloma. I am also a visiting scientist at the University Hospital of Leipzig in Germany.

My work on radiographic imaging in asymptomatic myeloma was included in the diagnostic guidelines published by the International Myeloma Working Group in 2014 and 2019. My study related to the value of autologous transplantation in elderly patients with multiple myeloma, resulted in a change of the reimbursement policy for autologous transplants for multiple myeloma patients in Germany in 2019.

My translational research focuses on understanding how different groups of cancer cells in plasma cell disorders respond to immunotherapies like CAR T cells. I use advanced techniques to study individual cancer and immune cells and aim to understand why some cells are destroyed by the immune system while others resist treatment.

I have served as sub-investigator in multiple investigator-initiated and pharmaceutical company–sponsored Phase I-III trials and participated in multiple international advisory boards.

What I Do at MSK

A myeloma specialist is a doctor with special training in diagnosing and treating myeloma.

  • Associate Attending Physician
Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Multiple myeloma
  • Light chain (AL) amyloidosis
  • Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)
  • Smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM)

My Specialties

  • General internal medicine
  • Hematology
  • Cellular therapy
  • Allogeneic stem cell transplant
  • Autologous stem cell transplant
  • Bone marrow transplant
  • CAR T-cell therapy
Education & Honors

Education

  • Professor of Medicine, University of Leipzig
  • MD, University of Heidelberg
  • Master of Health Business Administration, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg

Residencies

  • Department of Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Germany

Fellowships

  • Department of Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Germany
  • Hematology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York

Board Certifications

  • Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology

Awards and Honors

  • Artur Pappenheim Prize of the German Society for Hematology and Medical Oncology (2024)
  • Emerging Leader in Hematology, Nature (2023)
  • Translational Research Award, International Myeloma Society (2023)
  • Research Award Joint EBMT and EHA CAR meeting (2023)
  • Myeloma Research Award, Takeda Oncology Germany (2018)
  • Conquer Cancer Award, American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (2020)
  • Future Leader Award, BMS/Celgene (2019)

Insurance Information

Understanding your insurance options is an important part of managing your cancer care. We have relationships with many common healthcare providers and plans.

Aetna

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS, Transplant

Aetna Medicare Advantage (MTA and NYC retirees only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Anthem BCBS and other BCBS licensee plans

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

See updates

Anthem BCBS Health Plus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

See updates

Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

See updates

Blue Cross Blue Shield states outside of NY/NJ

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS

See updates

Carrum Health

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

Cigna

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Connecticare

In Network Coverage Type
POS, EPO, HMO

First Health

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Straight NJ Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Straight NY Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Emblem

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Emblem to learn more.

Emblem Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Emblem Medicare Advantage (Medicare Choice PPO Network and VIP Prime Network Only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Empire Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Empire Plan / NYSHIP (Blue Cross/UnitedHealthcare split plan)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

Fidelis

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Fidelis to learn more.

Fidelis Managed Medicaid & HARP

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Fidelis Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Healthfirst

In Network Coverage Type
EPO, HMO, PPO, POS

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Healthfirst to learn more.

Healthfirst Managed Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Healthfirst Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

Healthsmart

In Network Coverage Type
PPO EPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (HMO)

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (PPO)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier I (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier II (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

Horizon Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Husky CT Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Magnacare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO

Medicare Part A&B (traditional Medicare)

In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government

Metroplus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

City Employee Health Plans (Gold and Gold Care)

Multiplan/Beech Street/PHCS

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

MVP

In Network Coverage Type
PPO/OAP

Non-Participating Plans with Out of Network Benefits

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

NYC Medicare Advantage Plus for City Employees

In Network Coverage Type
TBD

Oscar

In Network Coverage Type
HMO/EPO

Oxford

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, EPO

World Trade Center Health Program (WTC)

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Qualcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Tricare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

UMR

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS

United Healthcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Don't see your carrier or plan? We can help you understand your coverage.

If you don't have health insurance or are worried that your care may not be fully covered, our financial assistance programs may be able to help.

If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.

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Contact and Location

Dr. Merz sees patients at two locations.

Location
Commack, NY
New York, NY
Memorial Sloan Kettering Commack Nonna’s Garden Foundation Center
650 Commack Road Commack NY 11725
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David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
530 East 74th Street New York NY 10021
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Colleagues

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.

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Clinical Trials

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Find a Clinical Trial for You

Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.

You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.

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Research and Publications

  1. Braun T, Rade M, Merz M, Klepzig H, Große F, Fandrei D, Pham NN, Kreuz M, Kuhn CK, Kuschel F, Löffler D, Meinel J, Heger E, Schweinsberg V, Pflug N, Platzbecker U, Hallek M, Holtick U, Köhl U, Scheid C, Reiche K, Herling M, Richardson T. Multiomic profiling of T cell lymphoma after therapy with anti-BCMA CAR T cells and GPRC5D-directed bispecific antibody. Nat Med. 2025 Feb 21. doi: 10.1038/s41591-025-03499-9. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39984633.
  2. Fandrei D, Seiffert S, Rade M, Rieprecht S, Gagelmann N, Born P, Wiemers T, Weidner H, Kreuz M, Schassberger T, Koßmann J, Mangold M, Fürst D, Fischer L, Baber R, Heyn S, Wang SY, Bach E, Hoffmann S, Metzeler KH, Herling M, Jentzsch M, Franke GN, Köhl U, Friedrich M, Boldt A, Reiche K, Platzbecker U, Vucinic V, Merz M. Bispecific Antibodies as Bridging to BCMA CAR-T Cell Therapy for Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma. Blood Cancer Discov. 2025 Jan 8;6(1):38-54. doi: 10.1158/2643-3230.BCD-24-0118. PMID: 39441177; PMCID: PMC11707513.
  3. Rade M, Grieb N, Weiss R, Sia J, Fischer L, Born P, Boldt A, Fricke S, Franz P, Scolnick J, Venkatraman L, Xu S, Kloetzer C, Heyn S, Kubasch AS, Baber R, Wang SY, Bach E, Hoffmann S, Ussmann J, Schetschorke B, Hell S, Schwind S, Metzeler KH, Herling M, Jentzsch M, Franke GN, Sack U, Köhl U, Platzbecker U, Reiche K, Vucinic V, Merz M. Single-cell multiomic dissection of response and resistance to chimeric antigen receptor T cells against BCMA in relapsed multiple myeloma. Nat Cancer. 2024 Apr 19. doi: 10.1038/s43018-024-00763-8. Online ahead of print. PMID: 38641734
  4. Gagelmann N*, Dima D*, Merz M*, Hashmi H*, Ahmed N, Tovar N, Oliver-Caldés A, Stölzel F, Rathje K, Fischer L, Born P, Schäfer L, Albici AM, Schub N, Kfir-Erenfeld S, Assayag M, Asherie N, Wulf GG, Kharboutli S, Müller F, Shune L, Davis JA, Anwer F, Vucinic V, Platzbecker U, Ayuk F, Kröger N, Khouri J, Gurnari C, McGuirk J, Stepensky P, Abdallah AO, Fernández de Larrea C. Development and Validation of a Prediction Model of Outcome After B-Cell Maturation Antigen-Directed Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy in Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma. J Clin Oncol. 2024 May 10;42(14):1665-1675. doi: 10.1200/JCO.23.02232. Epub 2024 Feb 15. PMID: 38358946 *contributed equally
  5. Merz M, Merz AMA, Wang J, Wei L, Hu Q, Hutson N, Rondeau C, Celotto K, Belal A, Alberico R, Block AW, Mohammadpour H, Wallace PK, Tario J, Luce J, Glenn ST, Singh P, Herr MM, Hahn T, Samur M, Munshi N, Liu S, McCarthy PL, Hillengass J. Deciphering spatial genomic heterogeneity at a single cell resolution in multiple myeloma. Nat Commun. 2022 Feb 10;13(1):807. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-28266-z. PMID: 35145077 Free PMC article.
Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Merz’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

See all on PubMed