Verastem, Inc., a drug developer heavily involved with cancer research, has announced that it will be presenting new data at the 12th International Mesothelioma Interest Group (iMig) Conference from October 22nd to the 24th. The conference, which will be held in Cape Town, South Africa, brings together members from all facets of the mesothelioma community, including patients, their family members, medical professionals, and other experts.
In several oral presentations, representatives of the Verastem research team will discuss the inhibition of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) – also the topic of a paper recently published by some of the company’s scientists. That paper dealt with the connection between loss of merlin – a tumor suppressor – and a patient’s response to FAK-inhibiting drugs. According to the paper, the loss of merlin results in an increased effectiveness of drugs that target cancer stem cells.
Similarly, Verastem’s presentations at the iMig Conference will involve the lead inhibitor VS-6063 and its use in targeting cancer stem cells.
“These presentations, along with our ongoing development efforts with our lead candidate VS-6063, which is currently being studied in the global, registration-directed COMMAND study for patients with mesothelioma, demonstrate our commitment to growing the body of knowledge surrounding the treatment of this highly aggressive form of cancer,” said Verastem’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Joanna Horobin.
Mesothelioma, an entirely preventable disease, is primarily caused by exposure to asbestos. Although asbestos has been banned since the 1970s, a long latency period leads to approximately 3,000 patients being diagnosed with the disease each year. Due to the aggressive nature of mesothelioma, most of its victims pass away within the first few years; the five-year survival rate is approximately 10%.
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