Verastem Oncology at H.C. Wainwright: dual-track RAS push

Verastem Oncology (VSTM) shared a two-pronged plan during the H.C. Wainwright 28th Annual Global Investment Conference on September 14, 2026. The first part focused on growing the sales of its recently approved ovarian cancer drug, AVMAPKI FAKZYNJA CO-PACK, while the second part centered on advancing a next-generation KRAS G12D inhibitor, VS-7375.

Management presented progress on both fronts but also cautioned that larger confirmatory data and broader commercial adoption are still forthcoming. The company's dual-platform strategy involved AVMAPKI FAKZYNJA CO-PACK, already approved for KRAS-mutated low-grade serous ovarian cancer, and VS-7375, currently in clinical development.

AVMAPKI FAKZYNJA CO-PACK saw positive momentum from Q1 to Q2 2026, driven by new patient starts, time on therapy, and refills or continuations. Reducing discontinuations remained a top priority. The prescriber mix was 60% academic centers and 40% community practices, with efforts underway to expand its use in community oncology.

VS-7375, a selective KRAS G12D inhibitor, boasts dose flexibility, long target engagement, and a favorable safety profile. Upcoming catalysts included October 2024 phase II data for VS-7375, an IGCS Congress update next month, and the 2027 readout from the RAMP 301 confirmatory study. Management saw combination therapy, particularly with EGFR inhibition, as pivotal for improving outcomes in pancreatic, lung, and colorectal cancers.

Verastem did not provide a traditional earnings update during the conference, but management provided a detailed commercial update on the launch of AVMAPKI FAKZYNJA CO-PACK, highlighting positive results from Q1 2026 into Q2. The company emphasized key measures such as new patient starts, time on therapy, and refills or continuations. Discontinuations were a focus area for improvement.

The RAMP 301 confirmatory phase III study, designed to confirm benefit in the KRAS-mutated population and potentially extend to the KRAS wild-type setting, was fully enrolled and expected to provide results in 2027. Management also unveiled phase II RAMP 205 data in frontline metastatic pancreatic cancer, showing a 52% response rate in a 29-patient cohort.

VS-7375, the next major growth driver, is being tested in pancreatic, non-small cell lung, and colorectal cancer, with phase II work ongoing across all three tumor types and phase III studies planned for the first half of 2027.