Multiple myeloma (MM) is a slowly proliferative malignancy in which malignant plasma cells accumulate within the bone marrow. The expression of several anti‐apoptotic proteins was evaluated by immunoblotting in human myeloma cell lines and in highly purified native myeloma cells. Expression of Bcl‐x_L, Mcl‐1 and Bcl‐2 was found in most of the samples; expression of Bcl‐x_L and Mcl‐1 seemed to be related on myeloma cells. In a system of apoptosis by growth factor deprivation on myeloma cells, we showed that the effect of Bcl‐2 seemed minimal whereas Mcl‐1 and Bcl‐x_L were tightly regulated by interleukin (IL)‐6. These findings underline the important role of Mcl‐1 and Bcl‐x_L instead of Bcl‐2 in IL‐6‐induced survival of myeloma cells.