Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) can make patients feel isolated, and that’s the feeling Eisai is working to combat with its latest awareness campaign.
The Japanese drugmaker has rolled out an initiative dubbed “FurtherMore,” which highlights the real-life stories of advanced breast cancer patients and “celebrates what can be achieved when they get the support they need to live their life” to the fullest, Eisai said.
RELATED: Eva Longoria, inspired by sister’s disease, joins Novartis’ selfie-driven breast cancer push
The campaign also calls on patients and their families to share their own stories on social media using the hashtags #FurtherMore and #MBC with the hope that in doing so, patients will “have access to more group support.”
Eisai, which makes MBC treatment Halaven, is looking to help publicize the distinction between metastatic breast cancer and early stage breast cancer. MBC “can be controlled but cannot currently be cured,” meaning that patients living with MBC diagnoses have different needs than other breast cancer patients, Ana Casas, M.D., president and founder of a Spanish nonprofit that works to empower cancer patients, said in a statement.
The campaign follows on the heels of an Eisai-sponsored study that showed MBC patients need more emotional support than they’re getting and are also holding back in discussions with their doctors. Twenty-five percent of respondents said that they feel too scared to ask their doctors questions after researching treatment options online, and 64% said they feel nervous or very uncomfortable starting conversations with their doctors about survival.
RELATED: Lilly Oncology’s strategy? Listen to tough talk from patients—and save data for later
“The hope is that, through these powerful stories … all those affected by the disease will be empowered to go further in sharing information with their healthcare professional about how they truly wish to live out the remainder of their lives,” Eisai said.
Meanwhile, Halaven has been growing for Eisai, if slowly. The therapy pulled in ¥20,440 million ($ 180.9 million) for the pharma through the six-month period ended Sept. 30, Eisai said.