Novartis commits to addressing racial disparities in breast cancer screening, treatment and care

EAST HANOVER, N.J., May 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Novartis today announced the launch of More Than Just Words, a multiyear commitment to promote health equity in breast cancer care, where there is significant unmet need. Black women under the age of 35 are diagnosed with breast cancer at twice the rate of white women the same age⁶. During 2020, breast cancer became the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, while at the same time, breast cancer screenings overall have decreased drastically^3,4. With COVID-19 and breast cancer disproportionately impacting women of color and drops in screenings threatening timely diagnoses and cancer care, it is more urgent than ever to address the disparities in breast cancer for Black women^7,8. Novartis will collaborate with leading multidisciplinary experts to raise awareness and create solutions that drive health equity across the continuum of breast cancer care and urge women to get the screening or care they need as soon as possible.

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8878351-novartis-commits-addressing-racial-disparities-breast-cancer-screening-treatment-care/  

"Our commitment to reimagining medicine at Novartis goes beyond developing therapeutics to helping close historical gaps in treatment and care of underserved communities," said Marion Brooks, Vice President and US Country Head, Diversity and Inclusion, Novartis. "Knowing that Black women have a higher incidence of or are at a greater risk for certain diseases, like breast cancer, we must work with other organizations to move forward together to successfully address health equity and access issues. We are at a critical juncture where we can change the course of diagnosis and care for all women."

Novartis is committed to creating solutions and funding programs to improve breast cancer care for Black women. Learn how you can help close this serious gap and connect to resources by visiting www.MoreThanJustWords.US.

Hear from More Than Just Words Advisors
"Every day I see the impact of delayed screenings and checkups due to COVID-19, including more advanced diagnoses," said Monique Gary, DO, MSc, FACS, Medical Director of the Grand View Health Cancer Program and More Than Just Words Advisor. "Unfortunately, Black women already experience later detection and delayed diagnoses, resulting in fewer care options and harder-to-treat disease for our patients. It is critical to act now to broaden awareness and change these statistics, because they represent more than just data: they are our mothers, daughters, sisters, partners and spouses, our friends."

"Personally and professionally, I commit to addressing the systemic and racial biases Black women with breast cancer face every day," said Jamil Rivers, Founder and CEO, The Chrysalis Initiative, Board President, METAvivor Research and Support, Inc., metastatic breast cancer patient and More Than Just Words Advisor. "I am frustrated by our current reality, but remain hopeful that together we can identify and support measurable change through this initiative."

"There is a great need to address the devastating reality that Black women often do not receive the same quality of breast cancer care as other women. On the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic and the spotlight on inequities being experienced by communities of color in the United States, we are calling for a collective commitment to demand better for the Black breast cancer community," said Ricki Fairley, Co-founder and CEO of TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance and More Than Just Words Advisor. "Convening experts to amplify the issues regarding Black breast cancer and devise a plan of action – as Novartis has – is instrumental to addressing the systemic issues that lead to health disparities."

About Social Determinants of Health and Disparities in Breast Cancer
The social, economic and physical conditions – in places where people live, learn, work and play – that influence health outcomes of people are what the CDC defines as social determinants of health⁹. When health outcomes are better or worse from one population to the next, there is disparity. Health disparities have impacts reaching far beyond those directly affected by limiting advancements in care and result in avoidable costs¹⁰. For example, the American Public Health Association found racial disparities in health led to an estimated $93 billion in excess medical care costs and $42 billion in lost productivity¹¹.

Black women are approximately 40% more likely to die of breast cancer and have a higher incidence of early-age onset breast cancer before age 50¹. Further, since 1990, breast cancer death rates only decreased by 26% in Black women in contrast to 40% in white women, underscoring the urgency of the disparity¹². Implicit biases and underrepresentation of Black providers, who comprise only ~2% of practicing oncologists, contribute to communication barriers and access to quality, consistent, culturally-competent care¹³.

About Novartis in Breast Cancer
Novartis tackles breast cancer with superior science, collaboration and a passion for transforming patient care. We've taken a bold approach to our research by including patient populations often neglected in clinical trials, identifying new pathways or mutations that may play a role in disease progression and developing therapies that not only maintain, but also improve, quality of life for patients. Our priority over the past 30 years and today is to deliver treatments proven to improve and extend lives for those diagnosed with advanced breast cancer.

Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "potential," "can," "will," "plan," "may," "could," "would," "expect," "anticipate," "look forward," "believe," "committed," "investigational," "pipeline," "launch," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political, economic and business conditions, including the effects of and efforts to mitigate pandemic diseases such as COVID-19; safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Novartis
Located in East Hanover, NJ Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation – an affiliate of Novartis – is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people's lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world's top companies investing in research and development. Novartis employs nearly 16,000 people in the United States. For more information, please visit https://www.novartis.us.

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References

1. Richardson LC, Henley SJ, Miller JW, Massetti G, Thomas CC. Patterns and Trends in Age-Specific Black-White Differences in Breast Cancer Incidence and Mortality – United States, 1999–2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016;65:1093–1098. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6540a1
2. JAMA Network. Race, Breast Cancer Subtypes, and Survival in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study. Available at: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/202952. Accessed February 24, 2021.
3. Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, Laversanne M, Soerjomataram I, Jemal A, Bray F. Global Cancer Statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN Estimates of Incidence and Mortality Worldwide for 36 Cancers in 185 Countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 2020. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21660 
4. Delay in cancer screening and diagnosis during the covid-19 pandemic: What is the cost? (2020, September 22). Retrieved April 13, 2021, from https://www.cancernetwork.com/view/delay-in-cancer-screening-and-diagnosis-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-what-is-the-cost   
5. Sharpless NE. COVID–19 and cancer. Science 2020; 368: 1290.
6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). African American Women: "Take Action" Infographic. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/young_women/bringyourbrave/resources/infographics/takeaction_infographic_aa.htm#:~:text=Knowing%20your%20cancer%20risk%20and,women%20of%20the%20same%20age. Accessed May 10, 2021.
7. Carethers JM, Sengupta R, Blakey R, Ribas A, D'Souza G. Disparities in Cancer Prevention in the COVID-19 Era. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2020 Nov;13(11):893-896. doi: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-20-0447. Epub 2020 Sep 17. PMID: 32943438.
8. Stokes EK, Zambrano LD, Anderson KN, et al. Coronavirus Disease 2019 Case Surveillance — United States, January 22–May 30, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020;69:759–765. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6924e2
9. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Social Determinants of Health: Know What Affects Health. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/socialdeterminants/index.htm. Accessed August 20, 2020.
10. Clark LT, Watkins L, Pina IL, et al. Increasing Diversity in Clinical Trials. Current Problems in Cardiology. 2019; 44(5):148-175.
11. US Census Bureau. Quick Facts. Available at: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/RHI225219. Accessed August 27, 2020.
12. Journal of Breast imaging. Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations: African American Women Are at a Disadvantage. Available at: https://academic.oup.com/jbi/article/2/5/416/5901429. Accessed February 24, 2021.
13. Facts & FIGURES: Diversity in oncology. (2021, February 05). Retrieved April 20, 2021, from https://www.asco.org/practice-policy/cancer-care-initiatives/diversity-oncology-initiative/facts-figures-diversity

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