Merck Partners with American Cancer Society to Address Cancer in Women

PR66379

DARMSTADT, Germany, Nov.1, 2016 / PRNewswire=KYODO JBN / --

- Cancer deaths in women are expected to increase to 5.5 million by 2030

Merck, a leading science and technology company, and the American Cancer

Society (ACS) today released a report that shows all four of the top causes of

cancer deaths in women worldwide are mostly preventable or can often be

detected early, when treatment is more successful. The report, titled "The

Global Burden of Cancer in Women," is the first tangible output from an

innovative partnership between Merck and the American Cancer Society focused on

raising awareness and strengthening advocacy around women's cancers.

"We are proud to partner with the American Cancer Society to address the impact

cancer has on women worldwide," said Belen Garijo, member of the Executive

Board and CEO Healthcare at Merck. "This collaboration is a first-of-its-kind

public-private partnership that recognizes that no one sector can tackle this

challenge alone. Improving women's health and well-being has an uplifting

ripple effect on our world, and we know when women do better, our communities

do better."

The research examines the increasing impact of cancer among women in low- and

middle-income countries - and outlines potential solutions to minimize the

economic and societal impact of the disease for women, their families and

healthcare systems.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in women, with breast, colorectal,

lung and cervical cancers claiming the most lives each year. With cancer rates

on the rise as the global population grows and ages, the number of women who

will lose their lives to cancer is expected to increase, particularly in low-

and middle-income countries. In 2012, there were 3.5 million deaths among women

due to cancer; by 2030 that number is expected to increase to 5.5 million

deaths - a more than 57% increase in less than two decades. Increased education

and prevention efforts will be essential to addressing this growing global

health crisis.

"It's incumbent upon both the public and private sectors, as members of the

global health community, to find ways to reduce the impacts of cancer on women

by increasing prevention and treatment, saving the lives of women across the

globe," said Ambassador Sally Cowal, senior vice president, global cancer

control at the American Cancer Society.

In addition to the physical challenges women with cancer and their families

experience, the burden of cancer also extends to the economy. The study found

that in 2009, the global economic burden of cancer was estimated at about $ 286

billion, and much of that cost was due to premature death of members of the

workforce. In the United States alone in 2008, years of productive life lost

due to cancer in women corresponded to $ 82 billion, not to mention the many

professional achievements that might have been realized.

The report was released at the World Cancer Congress during a Merck panel

moderated by Ambassador Cowal. Other participants included HRH Princess Dina

Mired of Jordan; Dr. Alise Reicin, Head of Global Clinical Development in the

biopharma business of Merck; and Dr. Edward L. "Ted" Trimble, director, Center

for Global Health at the National Cancer Institute.

This partnership will also catalyse the evolution of the American Cancer

Society's All of Me Young Scholars program, which aims to educate and cultivate

health and civil society professionals in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and India to

affect meaningful change in prevention and early detection of cancers among

women in low- and middle-income countries.

This report is part of Merck's involvement with the Healthy Women, Healthy

Economies initiative, which explicitly links the issue of women's health and

well-being with economic growth. The full "Global Burden of Cancer in Women"

report is available

http://www.cancer.org/research/cancerfactsstatistics/global-burden-cancer-in-women.

About the Healthy Women, Healthy Economies Initiative

Merck is a founding partner of the Healthy Women, Healthy Economies initiative,

which brings together the evidence about women's health and well-being and its

impact on economic growth with the best practices that governments, employers

and non-governmental organizations can follow. It aims to identify and

implement policies that advance women's health and well-being to increase their

economic participation in the societies in which they live.

About the American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of more than three

million volunteers saving lives and fighting for every birthday threatened by

every cancer in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization,

the Society's efforts have contributed to a 20 percent decline in cancer death

rates in the U.S. since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates. Thanks in

part to our progress, nearly 14 million Americans who have had cancer and

countless more who have avoided it will celebrate more birthdays this year.

We're determined to finish the fight against cancer. We're finding cures as the

nation's largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring

people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing the fight for

access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air and more. For

more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call us anytime, day or

night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

About the American Cancer Society's All of Me Young Scholars Program

The American Cancer Society's All of Me Young Scholars program aims to educate

and cultivate young health and civil society professionals around the world to

bring their energy, voice and new ideas to the new and growing field of

integration of women's cancer prevention and early detection.

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About Merck

Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science

and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees work to further develop

technologies that improve and enhance life - from biopharmaceutical therapies

to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific

research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD

televisions. In 2015, Merck generated sales of EUR 12.85 billion in 66 countries.

Founded in 1668, Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical

company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed

corporate group. The company holds the global rights to the Merck name and

brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company

operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.

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Source: Merck