Estée Lauder partners with BCRF for five-year breast cancer research initiative

USA – The Estée Lauder Companies has announced a new five-year partnership with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) to establish the Global Research Initiative on Breast Cancer in Younger Women.

The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation will contribute USD 15 million to the initiative.

The funding is intended to address a critical and substantially underfunded area of breast cancer research.

Stéphane de La Faverie, president and CEO of The Estée Lauder Companies and president of The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation, said, “As diagnoses rise among younger women, we have a responsibility to act with urgency.”

“We are proud to build on our longstanding partnership with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and help lead a new era of global collaboration to improve outcomes for generations of women and families.”

Between 2012 and 2022, breast cancer diagnoses among women younger than 45 increased by 11 percent.

At the same time, only an estimated 0.6 percent of breast cancer research funding allocated since 2020 has focused specifically on younger women.

Breast cancer in younger patients is more often diagnosed at an advanced stage and may behave more aggressively.

Women diagnosed before the age of 40 are nearly 40 percent more likely to die from the disease, underscoring the need for greater scientific attention and improved approaches to prevention, detection and treatment.

The initiative will form one of the largest coordinated global research programs focused on this issue. Scientists from around the world will collaborate to investigate the biological factors associated with early-onset breast cancer.

Their work will aim to produce new insights into risk prediction, prevention, early detection and treatment.

The initiative’s first grant will support an initial research phase focused on the biology of breast cancer in younger women.

Researchers will study the mechanisms that contribute to early-onset disease, helping establish a stronger foundation for moving discoveries from the laboratory into patient care.

The program will connect scientists across countries, institutions and disciplines.

This structure is intended to reduce traditional research barriers, encourage faster information sharing and strengthen the scientific foundation needed for progress.

Findings from the initial phase will help determine future research priorities and guide additional investigations.

Ultimately, the initiative aims to turn scientific discoveries into meaningful improvements for younger women living with or at risk of breast cancer around the world.

Evelyn H. Lauder founded the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in 1993.

She also helped create the now-iconic pink ribbon and launched The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Campaign.

Since then, The Estée Lauder Companies and its Charitable Foundation have provided more than USd 123 million through BCRF to support breast cancer research.

Their contributions have funded more than 400 research grants and helped create a global model for connecting scientific discovery with improved patient care.

The partnership has also supported the largest global study of breast cancer in Black women. That research has contributed significantly to understanding the factors behind disparities in breast cancer outcomes.

Over the past 30 years, breast cancer deaths have fallen by 44 percent.

Treatment options have also expanded considerably, growing from one targeted treatment in 1993 to more than 30 today.

These developments demonstrate the impact that sustained investment in research and precision medicine can have on patient outcomes.

The Global Research Initiative on Breast Cancer in Younger Women represents the next stage of this shared legacy.

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