ASCO 2023: Inspired by Patients – the Cornerstone for Cancer Care and Research

As I head home from Chicago following the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, I’m left feeling energized by the thought-provoking conversations and latest innovations in cancer care that continue to demonstrate our collective determination to win the war on this global health burden.

In particular, my conversations with people living with cancer were truly inspiring. I won’t get into the details, but I’m reminded about why I do the work that I do in oncology. It is crucial that we never lose sight of the individuals at the heart of our work: the patients. After all, partnering with patients is the cornerstone for quality cancer care and research. ?

With that in mind, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to witness some truly groundbreaking research at ASCO. From targeted therapies to immunotherapies, the landscape of cancer care is rapidly evolving, and I am excited to see this significant progress translate into improved patient outcomes in the future. ?

However, as we continue to see significant advances in this space, I recognize that there is still much work to be done to help the 50 million[i] people living with cancer around the world. Alarmingly, cancer incidence is on the rise globally, with a 70% increase in cancer expected by 2030[ii] . Added to this are the persisting disparities in health outcomes and access to cancer care. We must therefore build a future where all patients have access to equitable, innovative cancer care no matter where they live. ?

At Bayer, we are choosing to focus on the areas of highest unmet needs, including tumor types that affect a large number of patients to advance the global standards of care. Our focus areas include genitourinary, gastrointestinal, and non-small cell lung cancers. ?

To reach our ambition of helping even more cancer patients in the future, we will continue to invest in innovative, cutting-edge research and acquisitions that will enable us to bring forward new modalities that continue push the boundaries of what is possible in cancer care. Of course, we must partner with patients to understand where the areas of highest unmet need are.

?Some of the exciting developments Bayer are currently investing in are:

• Targeted radionuclide therapies – especially targeted alpha therapies (TAT) are an emerging class of radionuclide therapy for various tumors with a high unmet medical need, particularly those that are hard to treat or have not responded well to traditional standards of care?
• Next-generation immuno-Oncology (IO) – harnessing what can probably be considered the most powerful tool there is to fight tumor cells, the body's own immune system
• Precision Molecular Oncology – targeting crucial pathways of intracellular tumor signaling that are responsible for the development and survival of cancer cells ?

Alongside our research and acquisitions, we must continue to improve access to care, increase patient education, and foster collaboration amongst the patient and medical community. Giving more people living with cancer more quality moments with loved ones is what drives me and my team at Bayer to achieve more; together we will continue to change the outlook and meaning of cancer.?

[i] GLOBOCAN. Estimated Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide in 2020. All Cancers (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer).?https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/cancers/40-All-cancers-excluding- non-melanoma-skin-cancer-fact-sheet.pdf .?Accessed?May 2023.

[ii] BMJ. Global cancer cases and deaths are set to rise by70% in next 20 years. https://www.bmj.com/content/340/bmj.c3041 . Accessed May 2023.