BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 4, 2015-- Verastem, Inc. (NASDAQ:VSTM), focused on discovering and developing drugs to treat cancer by the targeted killing of cancer stem cells, today announced two poster presentations at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 30th Anniversary Annual Meeting & Associated Programs being held November 4-8, in National Harbor, Maryland.

The details of the presentations at SITC are as follows:

Title: Targeting Focal Adhesion Kinase Reprograms the Pancreatic Tumor Microenvironment and Renders Pancreas Cancer Responsive to Checkpoint Immunotherapy
Date and time: Friday Nov. 6 from 12:30 – 2:00 PM ET
Track: Tumor Microenvironment
Poster #: 419

Title: FAK/PYK2 Inhibitors Defactinib and VS-4718 Enhance Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Efficacy
Date and time: Friday Nov. 6 from 12:30 – 2:00 PM ET
Track: Optimizing Combination Immunotherapy
Poster #: 371

The posters will be on display starting at 3:00pm ET on Thursday, November 5^th and will remain accessible through 2:00pm ET on Saturday, November 7^th. The posters will also be available on Verastem’s website at http://bit.ly/R3M6wc starting at 6:00pm ET on Thursday, November 5^th.

About VS-6063

VS-6063 (defactinib) is an orally available compound designed to target cancer stem cells through the potent inhibition of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Cancer stem cells are an underlying cause of tumor resistance to chemotherapy, recurrence and ultimate disease progression. Research has demonstrated that FAK activity is critical for the growth and survival of cancer stem cells. VS-6063 is currently being studied in the “Window of Opportunity” study in patients with mesothelioma prior to surgery, a Phase 1/1b study in combination with paclitaxel in patients with ovarian cancer, a trial in patients with KRAS-mutated non-small cell lung cancer and a trial evaluating the combination of VS-6063 and VS-5584 in patients with relapsed mesothelioma.

About VS-4718

VS-4718 is an orally available compound designed to target cancer stem cells through the potent inhibition of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). VS-4718 is currently being studied in a Phase 1 dose escalation study in patients with advanced cancers.

About Verastem, Inc.

Verastem, Inc. (NASDAQ:VSTM) is discovering and developing drugs to treat cancer by the targeted killing of cancer stem cells. Cancer stem cells are an underlying cause of tumor recurrence and metastasis. Verastem is developing small molecule inhibitors of signaling pathways that are critical to cancer stem cell survival and proliferation: FAK and PI3K/mTOR. For more information, please visit www.verastem.com.

Forward-looking statements:

This press release includes forward-looking statements about the Company’s strategy, future plans and prospects, including statements regarding the development and activity of the Company’s product candidates, VS-6063 and VS-4718, and the Company’s FAK program generally, and the potential for combination of FAK inhibitors with immuno-oncology agents. 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 product candidates and preliminary or interim data from clinical trials may not be predictive of the results or success of ongoing or later clinical trials, that data may not be available when we expect it to be, that enrollment of clinical trials may take longer than expected, that our product candidates will cause unexpected safety events, that the Company will be unable to successfully initiate or complete the clinical development of its product candidates, that the development of the Company’s product candidates will take longer or cost more than planned, and that the Company’s product candidates 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 December 31, 2014 and in any subsequent SEC filings. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect the Company’s current views with respect to future events, and the Company does not undertake and specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151104005241/en/

Source: Verastem, Inc.

Contact Verastem, Inc.:
Brian Sullivan, 781-292-4214
bsullivan@verastem.com