Verastem Oncology is launching a fresh campaign that features resources and management for a specific type of ovarian cancer known as low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC).
With this new initiative, Verastem, which has a gynecological drug asset in its pipeline, provides patients with details about the disease such as its symptoms, tips and resources, community connections and what sets LGSOC apart from high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC).
The campaign, called “Let’s Talk about LGSOC,” highlights the rare form of ovarian cancer, which tends to affect women between the ages of 45 and 55, often causing long-term effects such as infertility and early menopause.
The biopharma says that as of now, there is no approved treatment specific to this type of malignancy, affecting between 6% and 8% of those presenting with ovarian cancer.
Most importantly, the campaign looks to bring together patients diagnosed with LGSOC to help create a supportive community. It allows visitors on the website to register and stay connected.
“Low-grade serous ovarian cancer is a serious disease that can be seriously misunderstood,” the campaign’s tagline reads on the consumer-facing website.
LGSOC is an aggressive form of ovarian cancer that is often goes undiagnosed before it spreads to outside of the ovaries. It is also often resistant to chemotherapy and has an 85% chance of coming back after remission.
“At the time, I felt I had to do a lot of research on my own to better understand my diagnosis, how LGSOC was different, and what it would mean for my future. Let’s Talk About LGSOC tackles the need for disease awareness and fosters connection amongst those living with LGSOC and with the advocacy organizations that are there to support us,” Tiffany Stout, a patient living with LGSOC for eight years, said in a press release.
Verastem Oncology is hoping to bring greater awareness and improve outcomes for patients with LGSOC. The company primarily develops new cancer medicines via small-molecule drugs that inhibit critical signaling pathways in cancer that promote cancer cell survival and tumor growth, including RAF/MEK inhibition and focal adhesion kinase inhibition.