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Reaffirming Our Commitment to Cancer Patients on this World Cancer Day
Photo courtesy World Cancer Day. For more information visit www.worldcancerday.org.
By Michael Goettler, Former CEO of Viatris
February 4, 2021
No matter where you are in the world, I’m certain we’ve all been touched personally by cancer. Whether it was a family member, a friend or even yourself, cancer affects people of all ages and all geographies and, sadly, remains the second leading cause of death in the world. I have been personally affected by cancer and have seen firsthand how science can make a difference. I lost two grandparents to cancer at a time when medicine wasn’t very sophisticated; more recently, a very good friend of mine is battling a rare cancer and the advances in targeted antibody and immune therapies have been incredible.
Today is World Cancer Day, an opportunity for us collectively around the globe to raise awareness of cancer and also reaffirm our commitment to making a difference in the lives of cancer patients.
With our legacy companies, we have a solid foundation on which to build our efforts. We’ve worked hard to bring more affordable versions of complex medicines, including biosimilars, to markets all over the world, increasing patient access to critical treatments for cancer and many diseases. Millions of people have been screened for cancer with our support of the Affordable Cancer Care program in India. And our robust portfolio includes treatments that support patients through every part of their cancer journey.
As we’ve come together as Viatris, we are committed to helping cancer patients, and one of the ways we are doing that is through our support of the NCD Academy. As the founding sponsor of this important effort that helps bring resources to healthcare professionals looking to combat noncommunicable diseases, our support has helped the NCD Academy develop its newest course focused on oncology. The program is accredited in many countries around the world, excluding the U.S. You can learn more here about the NCD Academy and its work.
I hope you’ll take a minute today to think about how you can make a difference for cancer patients around the world. At Viatris, we take seriously the important part we play and know personally that our work really does matter.