Novartis First Company Accredited with Global 'CEO Cancer Gold Standard'

Novartis is the first company to earn global CEO Cancer Gold Standard accreditation by the non-profit organisation CEO Roundtable on Cancer, a group of cancer fighting CEOs from a variety of industries, including healthcare. The designation recognizes the company's efforts to provide support to Novartis associates in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

"At Novartis, we believe that everyone should have access to early screening programmes and innovative therapies," said Joseph Jimenez, CEO of Novartis. "Our efforts for our associates, which are recognised by this designation, are an extension of our goal to redefine cancer for all patients."

Novartis is passionate about the discovery and development of innovative medicines to help provide a broad range of new therapies and practical solutions to advance care of patients. The company's research is driven by a distinctive scientific and clinical strategy focusing on unmet medical needs and knowledge of disease pathways. The Novartis research strategy leverages biomarkers and targeted drug development focused on individual patients. The company's extensive portfolio of access-to-treatment projects adapts to patients' needs, products, collaborators and countries.

Novartis first achieved CEO Cancer Gold Standard designation in the US, and quickly extended these resources around the world. Since then, the company has offered programs such as

• adding preventive health services in Portugal
• a yearlong plan on health promotion and its benefits in the Philippines
• regular screenings for colon and breast cancers in Japan and Brazil.

The impact has been significant. In fact, through the Novartis cancer screening programme alone, the company has already documented cases of early cancer detection among our associates and has been able to offer the kind of support and treatment that helps to change lives. Novartis continues to expand the programme to leverage the company's internal expertise and expand our cancer network and resources to support employees and their families with the best medical, emotional and physical support possible.

The CEO Roundtable on Cancer was founded in 2001, when former President George H.W. Bush challenged a group of executives to "do something bold and venturesome about cancer within your own corporate families." The CEOs responded by creating and encouraging the widespread adoption of the CEO Cancer Gold Standard which calls for organizations to evaluate their health benefits and workplace culture and take extensive, concrete actions in five key areas of health and wellness to fight cancer in the workplace.