Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Oncology unit today unveiled a new website that creates big expectations with its very name: Cancer.com. Created by Janssen with the American Cancer Society, Cancer Support Community and CancerCare, the website has been years in the making.
Janssen had owned the URL for a long time, said Leslie Amendola, senior director of oncology franchise strategy at Janssen Oncology, and the website itself has been under construction for about two years.
The partners were deliberate in planning and crafting the site because, as Amendola said, “if you put something on Cancer.com, it had better be good."
RELATED: ASH: J&J, AbbVie tout long-term Imbruvica data in the face of a new AstraZeneca threat
The overall idea? Create a site that's full of info and resources but doesn't swamp patients already exposed to an onslaught of news and information about cancer everywhere they look. “Everyone is touched by cancer, and we all know how overwhelming that experience can be, so it was really with that spirit to help educate, motivate and empower patients that we started on this journey to develop Cancer.com,” she said.
The website has various entry points for people, depending on where they are in their cancer journey, including those who have just been diagnosed, patients in treatment or remission, or those facing a relapse. Users can also get information by specific type of cancer.
After creating a profile, users can access custom tools such as My Care Activator. The digital health coaching tool, which was developed internally by Johnson & Johnson behavioral scientists, creates a personal and customized experience for each patient. Another unique asset on Cancer.com is the Advocacy Connector, which helps patients find local resources near them.
“There are a lot of resources out there, and sometimes that can actually be even more daunting and overwhelming to a patient because they go online and they’re not sure where to go. We’re hopeful that by having this new destination, we can connect the patients, tailor what is out there and bring the content to where they are in their journey,” Amendola said.
RELATED: The top 15 pharma companies by 2016 revenues - J&J
She stressed that this is just the beginning for Cancer.com. Janssen anticipates partnering with more advocacy groups, as well as adding more resources, news and content via a group of Janssen employees who specifically work on Cancer.com.
“We took this initiative on very seriously, just as we would approach our scientific advancements,” she said, adding, "We know people are going to come here just by the URL alone, so we wanted to ensure that we provided not something that continued to overwhelm a patient, but instead brought them relevant information and tools.”
Janssen Oncology treatments include first-in-class BTK inhibitor Imbruvica, prostate cancer treatment Zytiga and multiple myeloma drug Darzalex, which just this week unveiled data at ASH that could help it win a coveted spot in first-line treatment. Janssen is also working with Bristol-Myers Squibb's Opdivo in a Darzalex partnership to test the BMS immuno-oncology drug in a combo cocktail.