New Media Company Revolutionizes Access for Cancer Information

NEW YORK, June 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — The world is on the cusp of a revolution in the treatment of cancer: a record number of clinical trials are in underway; and the $497 million spent on oncology consumer ads for cancer last year was more than six times the $80 million spent on cancer DTC over seven previous years (2008-2014).

Yet, even in today’s age of consumer-driven, patient-centered healthcare, where patients expect to be informed and demand information at their fingertips, it is still incredibly difficult to access the top cancer doctors who might be able to help, and tens of millions of Americans struggle to access information about new treatments which could save their lives.

Taking on WebMD, a new video-focused media company is launching to democratize access to these top cancer doctors by bringing them directly to the people who need them the most. With $3 million raised in seed funding, SurvivorNet is the only consumer focused media platform that has brought experts from the top comprehensive cancer centers together in one place. The product contains deep, nuanced video content from the world’s most respected cancer doctors on the kind of research and trials being pursued by large drug companies in collaboration with comprehensive cancer centers, including commentary on the risks involved.

SurvivorNet is the brainchild of Steve Alperin, whose background in the media business includes serving as the former Head Writer for ABC’s Peter Jennings, the Managing Editor of ABCNews.com, and the Chief Business Officer at Vocativ. Alperin was there as Jennings struggled with his lung cancer diagnosis and ultimately died soon after. But he also saw the positive impact Jennings’ death had on increased lung cancer screening. Alperin’s co-founder is Tim Langloss, a leading venture capitalist in healthcare who backed one of the only successful new treatments for brain cancer called Optune, produced by the publicly traded company Novocure.

“When you get cancer, it’s much too difficult to figure out what to do, even if you have all the money in the world. The data on this devastating information gap is clear, and, like so many people, we struggled when our own families got sick,” said Steve Alperin, Co-founder of SurvivorNet. “From a business perspective, this is a huge undeserved market. We’re building a media company with an urgent reason to exist, and we’re betting that content which is valuable to human beings can become a valuable business. We strongly believe that existing sources of health media are totally inadequate if your life depends on it. All this confusion harms patients, physicians trying to do their jobs, and, yes, the pharmaceutical industry as it tries to increase understanding of its products. We are working with all sides, but the patient comes first.”

Created in collaboration with leading physicians and researchers at top institutions including the National Cancer Institute, Cedars Sinai, MD Anderson, The University of Pennsylvania, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Dana Farber, Harvard, Stanford, and UCSF, SurvivorNet will empower the cancer community via:

Rigorously vetted information from the world’s most respected cancer doctors
Differing view points on key issues such as how to treat early stage breast cancer
An essential connection point for patients, survivors and their loved ones
A destination for showcasing the inspiring stories of people living with cancer

The content is driven by a group of highly-experienced journalists who have managed national television and digital news platforms at ABC, FOX, and CNN. Already the team has shot hundreds of hours of tape – with patients, physicians, scientists, etc. – to create ultra-high quality video content and short documentaries. The company’s core solution follows the typical journey of someone with cancer: 1. prevention / risk; 2. diagnosis; 3. treatment plan; 4. treatment; 5. living with cancer – and provides education, personal stories, and background on alternative treatments, clinical trials, and risks.

“Access to the top people matters. The field is changing so quickly, so many advances, this service can be a game changer. Cancer is such an exciting and hopeful field these days. We hope SurvivorNet empowers people to ask their doctor the “what about this?” question,” said Dr. Elizabeth Comen, an oncologist specializing in breast cancer at Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center and one of SurvivorNet’s medical advisory board members.