Invenra has created playing cards featuring artwork by people affected by cancer as it seeks biopharma buy-in for its antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) service.
The Wisconsin-based antibody service provider has started using its bispecific and trispecific antibody platforms to generate ADC targeting moieties. To support the rollout, Invenra has arrived at the World ADC Conference in San Diego with its “52 Views of Cancer” playing card deck. Each of the 52 cards, plus the jokers and box cover, features art that Invenra has licensed from people affected by cancer.
Invenra CEO Roland Green came up with the idea for the deck while looking at artwork by his daughter, who was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Viewing the artwork, Green envisioned “a collection of art that highlights the patients’ stories, with a goal of inspiring the scientists and clinicians in their effort to find cures,” the CEO said in a statement.
The “52 Views of Cancer” website displays each artwork and statements from the artists. The deck has a wide array of art styles, with the aces alone featuring a digital collage, an oil painting and a watercolor and ink piece. Their stories are similarly varied, reflecting the impact cancer has on patients and their loved ones.
Invenra’s deployment of the cards at the World ADC Conference is the start of an ongoing effort. The company plans to share the decks at other conferences to expose researchers, clinicians and scientists to patients’ voices and perspectives.
The deck adds to the long history of using playing cards for awareness and marketing. Bayer created a deck in the 1960s. Roche followed suit around 1980. More recently, Amylyx Pharmaceuticals used a playing card design to make its disease education website simpler and more approachable. And Maat Pharma created a version of the game “happy families” to educate people about the gut microbiota.