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Verastem Hosts Dr. Dean Fennell for a Mesothelioma Briefing at ASCO
-Webcast replay now available-
Dr. Fennell is the Chair of Thoracic Medical Oncology at the
“Asbestos is the causative agent in the vast majority of mesothelioma cases,” said Dr. Fennell. “Sadly, the use of asbestos continues worldwide. Due to the 10-50 year latency period from asbestos exposure to development of disease, we expect that the current trend of increasing mesothelioma incidence worldwide will continue. There is a large unmet medical need in mesothelioma and an opportunity to develop targeted agents to bring new hope to patients struggling with their disease.”
According to published reports there are still nearly two million tons
of asbestos consumed globally each year. The incidence rate of
mesothelioma is increasing in the
“We are moving quickly to bring new treatment options to patients with
mesothelioma,” said Dr. Horobin. “Our lead compound, VS-6063, is an
orally-available agent that inhibits the Focal Adhesion Kinase, or FAK,
pathway. We have received allowance from the
Key discussion points during the meeting focused on the role of cancer stem cells and the tumor suppressor Merlin in disease progression. Data were presented demonstrating that the only approved agent in the treatment of mesothelioma, known as Alimta®, as well as the commonly used chemotherapeutics cisplatin, vinorelbine, and gemcitabine all lack the ability to kill cancer stem cells in models of mesothelioma. These agents increase the percentage of cancer stem cells following treatment in these studies in contrast to VS-6063 which preferentially kills the cancer stem cells.
Approximately 40-50% of mesothelioma patients lack Merlin and studies by
In addition to the upcoming mesothelioma study, VS-6063 is currently
being evaluated in a Phase 1/1b trial in combination with paclitaxel in
patients with ovarian cancer.
A webcast of Saturday’s event is available on Verastem’s website and can be accessed at http://phoenix.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=250749&p=irol-eventDetails&EventId=4972566
Alimta® is a registered trademark of
About Verastem, Inc.
Forward-looking statements:
This press release includes forward-looking statements about the
Company’s strategy, future plans and prospects, including statements
regarding the development of the Company’s compounds, including VS-6063,
VS-4718 and VS-5584, and the Company’s FAK, PI3K/mTOR and diagnostic
programs generally, the timeline for clinical development and regulatory
approval of the Company’s compounds, the structure of the Company’s
planned clinical trials and estimates of the Company’s ability to fund
operations. The words “anticipate,” “appear,” “believe,” “estimate,”
“expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “target,”
“potential,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “continue,” and similar
expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements,
although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying
words. Each forward-looking statement is subject to risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from
those expressed or implied in such statement. Applicable risks and
uncertainties include the risks that the preclinical testing of the
Company’s compounds may not be predictive of the success of later
clinical trials, that the Company will be unable to successfully
complete the clinical development of its compounds, including VS-6063,
VS-4718 and VS-5584, that the development of the Company’s compounds
will take longer or cost more than planned, and that the Company’s
compounds will not receive regulatory approval or become commercially
successful products. Other risks and uncertainties include those
identified under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
Source:
Verastem, Inc.
Brian Sullivan, 617-252-9314
bsullivan@verastem.com