NovoCure Ltd. Kicks Off Brain Tumor Awareness Month With New Activities To Address Challenges In The Glioblastoma Community

Tune-In to GBM initiative will culminate in first GBM Hackathon event to find innovative solutions for patients and caregivers

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Novocure, a commercial stage oncology company, announced today that it is sponsoring its Tune-In to GBM campaign during Brain Tumor Awareness Month for the third consecutive year. Novocure is launching a series of activities to help spread awareness of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and aggressive form of primary brain cancer in adults. This year’s events are aimed at supporting patients and caregivers and improving connectivity within the GBM community.

“Novocure is proud to help raise awareness and drive research for treatments and resources for GBM patients and their caregivers”

"Improving access to support systems - both physical and emotional - is critical for brain tumor patients and their caregivers," said Sally M. Davis, Chief Executive Officer, National Brain Tumor Society. "As with many cancers, living with GBM takes a considerable toll, and patients and caregivers appreciate resources to help them throughout their diagnosis and treatment journeys. As a patient advocacy organization, we appreciate all efforts, like Novocure's Tune-In to GBM campaign, to help amplify the voice of the brain tumor community."

Novocure will kick off its May programming with opportunities for patients and caregivers to describe their experiences and needs. A survey will assess prevalent challenges for the community and identify opportunities for new and enhanced resources at http://bit.ly/tunein2gbmsurvey. A Google Hangout with advocacy groups and care providers will provide further insight, and educational videos from the event will be made available online to the community.

The insights from these events will help drive the launch of the first-ever GBM Hackathon, an overnight event that will bring together a diverse group of GBM advocates and tech experts to address the needs of the GBM community. The goal of “Hack GBM” is to brainstorm and build innovative tools to enhance patient and caregiver support. A panel of judges will select a winning idea to further develop and implement. The Hackathon will take place in Chicago, leading up to the ASCO 2015 meeting. Learn more here http://bit.ly/tunein2gbmsurvey.

“Novocure is proud to help raise awareness and drive research for treatments and resources for GBM patients and their caregivers,” said Peter Melnyk, Chief Commercial Officer of Novocure. “During Brain Tumor Awareness Month and beyond, we are committed to identifying and implementing solutions for the GBM community with the goal of advancing support options and improving quality of life.”

About Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common form of primary brain cancer with approximately 10,000 patients diagnosed each year in the US. Overall survival with standard of care temozolomide chemotherapy alone is approximately 15 months.

About Tumor Treating Fields Therapy

Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy is delivered by a portable, non-invasive medical device designed for continuous use by patients. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that TTFields therapy slows and reverses tumor growth by inhibiting mitosis, the process by which cells divide and replicate. TTFields therapy creates low intensity, alternating electric fields within a tumor that exert physical forces on electrically charged cellular components, preventing the normal mitotic process and causing cancer cell death.

About Novocure

Novocure is a private Jersey Isle oncology company pioneering a novel therapy for solid tumors called TTFields. Novocure’s US operations are based in Portsmouth, NH and New York, NY. Additionally, the company has offices in Switzerland and Japan and a research center in Haifa, Israel. For additional information about the company, please visit www.novocure.com.