Month: June 2024

In recent decades, our improved understanding of cancer has illuminated that we cannot treat all cancers as one disease — scientists have classified hundreds of types and found a myriad of genetic drivers underlying them. This means, just as cancer isn’t one disease, there cannot be just one way to treat all cancers.

“We’ve witnessed dramatic progress in how we treat a wide range of cancers, and our work at Merck has been foundational in how we treat metastatic disease, or cancer that has spread.”

Dr. Jane Healy
Vice president and head of oncology early development, Merck Research Laboratories

“This is just the tip of the iceberg. These advancements are helping to fuel the next generation of discoveries and drive progress in the way we care for people with all stages of cancer. We must push research forward that supports early discoveries and novel innovations to advance the future of cancer research,” Healy said.

Driving research toward treating certain cancers earlier

With the ultimate goal of providing patients with the greatest chance for survival, Merck’s researchers are building a broad clinical development program focused on treating certain cancers at earlier stages.

“Expanding our research efforts into earlier stages of disease remains a top priority,” said Healy. “We’re pursuing research where we have the greatest potential to make a significant impact in helping reduce the risk of recurrence and improving survival.”

A robust pipeline of diverse approaches to advanced and earlier stages of cancer

In addition to driving research in earlier stages of cancer, Healy and her colleagues are investigating multiple mechanisms and modalities that may have the potential to address cancer in innovative ways. Through Merck’s research and external collaborations, the company has developed a robust pipeline that encompasses diverse approaches to treating advanced and earlier stages of cancer across more than 20 novel mechanisms, including:

Boosting anti-tumor immune responses: Learnings from recent advancements in cancer care have informed a more focused approach to research. Now, Merck is investigating foundational cancer treatments combined with negative immune regulators that play different roles in adjusting the immune response.

The company is also exploring individualized neoantigen therapies, a growing area of research focused on sharpening the immune response against a person’s own tumor by developing a therapy unique to their tumor’s mutation.
 Tissue-specific targeting of chemotherapy to increase cancer cell sensitivity to immune responses: While chemotherapy remains an important treatment option, Merck’s scientists are exploring how antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), with novel chemotherapy-like payloads, can be used as a more targeted approach to deliver chemotherapy.

Similarly, the company is pursuing research that enhances the ability of T cells to recognize and attack tumors.
 Impacting pathways that can drive cancer growth: Merck has identified opportunities for the direct targeting of cancer cell vulnerabilities and transcription factors that were previously considered untreatable. By designing therapeutic candidates that inhibit or degrade proteins and genes implicated in cancer pathways, the company is evaluating new ways to help address rare and difficult-to-treat cancers that currently have limited treatment options.

“We’re committed to investing in novel research where scientific opportunity and medical need converge.”

Dr. David Weinstock
Vice president of discovery oncology, Merck Research Laboratories

“These key areas of research are the cornerstones of our broad and diverse pipeline, with more than 2,250 ongoing clinical trials, which include more than 1,600 trials evaluating combination regimens. We remain dedicated to discovering new ways to fight this disease and optimizing existing approaches — all while continuing to lead in supporting the next generation of cancer research,” said Weinstock.

Researchers at Merck are committed to rapidly advancing leading-edge oncology research with the ultimate goal of improving the lives of people touched by cancer. To learn more about Merck’s focus on cancer research and treatments, visit Merck.com.

View original content here.

In recent decades, our improved understanding of cancer has illuminated that we cannot treat all cancers as one disease — scientists have classified hundreds of types and found a myriad of genetic drivers underlying them. This means, just as cancer isn’t one disease, there cannot be just one way to treat all cancers.

“We’ve witnessed dramatic progress in how we treat a wide range of cancers, and our work at Merck has been foundational in how we treat metastatic disease, or cancer that has spread.”

Dr. Jane Healy
Vice president and head of oncology early development, Merck Research Laboratories

“This is just the tip of the iceberg. These advancements are helping to fuel the next generation of discoveries and drive progress in the way we care for people with all stages of cancer. We must push research forward that supports early discoveries and novel innovations to advance the future of cancer research,” Healy said.

Driving research toward treating certain cancers earlier

With the ultimate goal of providing patients with the greatest chance for survival, Merck’s researchers are building a broad clinical development program focused on treating certain cancers at earlier stages.

“Expanding our research efforts into earlier stages of disease remains a top priority,” said Healy. “We’re pursuing research where we have the greatest potential to make a significant impact in helping reduce the risk of recurrence and improving survival.”

A robust pipeline of diverse approaches to advanced and earlier stages of cancer

In addition to driving research in earlier stages of cancer, Healy and her colleagues are investigating multiple mechanisms and modalities that may have the potential to address cancer in innovative ways. Through Merck’s research and external collaborations, the company has developed a robust pipeline that encompasses diverse approaches to treating advanced and earlier stages of cancer across more than 20 novel mechanisms, including:

Boosting anti-tumor immune responses: Learnings from recent advancements in cancer care have informed a more focused approach to research. Now, Merck is investigating foundational cancer treatments combined with negative immune regulators that play different roles in adjusting the immune response.

The company is also exploring individualized neoantigen therapies, a growing area of research focused on sharpening the immune response against a person’s own tumor by developing a therapy unique to their tumor’s mutation.
 Tissue-specific targeting of chemotherapy to increase cancer cell sensitivity to immune responses: While chemotherapy remains an important treatment option, Merck’s scientists are exploring how antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), with novel chemotherapy-like payloads, can be used as a more targeted approach to deliver chemotherapy.

Similarly, the company is pursuing research that enhances the ability of T cells to recognize and attack tumors.
 Impacting pathways that can drive cancer growth: Merck has identified opportunities for the direct targeting of cancer cell vulnerabilities and transcription factors that were previously considered untreatable. By designing therapeutic candidates that inhibit or degrade proteins and genes implicated in cancer pathways, the company is evaluating new ways to help address rare and difficult-to-treat cancers that currently have limited treatment options.

“We’re committed to investing in novel research where scientific opportunity and medical need converge.”

Dr. David Weinstock
Vice president of discovery oncology, Merck Research Laboratories

“These key areas of research are the cornerstones of our broad and diverse pipeline, with more than 2,250 ongoing clinical trials, which include more than 1,600 trials evaluating combination regimens. We remain dedicated to discovering new ways to fight this disease and optimizing existing approaches — all while continuing to lead in supporting the next generation of cancer research,” said Weinstock.

Researchers at Merck are committed to rapidly advancing leading-edge oncology research with the ultimate goal of improving the lives of people touched by cancer. To learn more about Merck’s focus on cancer research and treatments, visit Merck.com.

View original content here.

Henkel’s two business units, Adhesive Technologies and Consumer Brands, are united by the pioneering spirit to reimagine and improve everyday life – today and for generations to come. Building on a strong legacy of more than 145 years, our brands and products play an important role in the lives of millions of people and help to transform entire industries. In this new series, Beyond the Brand, you will learn about how Henkel’s top brands are contributing to organizational goals and innovating constantly to serve and succeed on behalf of customers, consumers, and partners.

This edition’s featured brand is Pravana, which has been delighting salon professionals professional with hair color, care, and styling products for 20 years. Read on for more about the history, purpose, innovations, sustainability, and pioneering spirit that goes far beyond the brand.

The History of Pravana

Pravana was introduced to the professional beauty industry in 2004, distinguishing itself with a vibrant palette and wide portfolio of innovative hair care solutions. The brand quickly became known for its pioneering approach to hair color, bringing creative color to salons and delighting stylists and consumers alike.

The Purpose of Pravana

Pravana was created by stylists for stylists. On a mission to empower salon professionals, Pravana has consistently pushed the boundaries of creativity and performance, becoming a go-to brand for stylists seeking both quality and versatility.

Innovations from Pravana

Pravana is renowned for its breakthrough products. The brand’s Intense Therapy Leave-In Spray, a lightweight two-phase hydrating mist, is a stylist favorite and is a best-selling hair care product for Henkel’s Beauty Professional business in North America.

Pravana’s complete range of continuously evolving hair products also includes ChromaSilk® Creme Color – permanent creme hair colors that span over six different tonal families, ChromaSilk VIVIDS® – semi-permanent, non-oxidative hair color that is designed to be used without developer, Platinum Toners – formulated to deliver polished platinum results in just 5 minutes, the Pure Light Collection, The Perfect Blonde® Toning Collection, and more. These vibrant colors as well as a full line of hair care products are designed to assist stylists and clients in meeting a wide variety of beauty needs.

In 2023, Pravana launched a new line of demi-permanent color, HydraGloss, which deposits color with a glossy finish. Each of these products demonstrate Pravana’s commitment to innovation, meeting the comprehensive needs of salon professionals and clients everywhere.

Sustainability from Pravana

Recognizing the beauty industry’s environmental impact, Pravana has embraced sustainability through initiatives that prioritize outcomes such as more recyclable packaging and waste reduction. The brand is committed to reducing its carbon footprint by using as little virgin plastic as possible, and participates in the Green Circle Salon recycling program – the world’s first sustainable salon solution to recover and repurpose beauty waste.

These initiatives are part of Pravana and Henkel’s broader commitment to reducing environmental footprints along with our consumers, customers, and partners, demonstrating that beauty and environmental responsibility can coexist.

Beyond the Pravana Brand

Beyond its product portfolio, Pravana has a strong connection with the salon professional community and is well-known for high levels of engagement with educators and stylists across the region. This strong tie to the hair community is often highlighted at Behind the Chair shows where Pravana educators take the stage to discuss what products and techniques are on the cutting edge for stylists and clients.

Also, as an early adopter in the digital space, Pravana has cultivated a significant presence on social media, with over 1 million followers across its channels, continuously inspiring with new techniques and collaborations with innovators in the hair color and styling industry. To keep up with the latest innovations and launches from Pravana, you can follow the brand on Instagram or visit their website at Pravana.com.

Henkel’s two business units, Adhesive Technologies and Consumer Brands, are united by the pioneering spirit to reimagine and improve everyday life – today and for generations to come. Building on a strong legacy of more than 145 years, our brands and products play an important role in the lives of millions of people and help to transform entire industries. In this new series, Beyond the Brand, you will learn about how Henkel’s top brands are contributing to organizational goals and innovating constantly to serve and succeed on behalf of customers, consumers, and partners.

This edition’s featured brand is Pravana, which has been delighting salon professionals professional with hair color, care, and styling products for 20 years. Read on for more about the history, purpose, innovations, sustainability, and pioneering spirit that goes far beyond the brand.

The History of Pravana

Pravana was introduced to the professional beauty industry in 2004, distinguishing itself with a vibrant palette and wide portfolio of innovative hair care solutions. The brand quickly became known for its pioneering approach to hair color, bringing creative color to salons and delighting stylists and consumers alike.

The Purpose of Pravana

Pravana was created by stylists for stylists. On a mission to empower salon professionals, Pravana has consistently pushed the boundaries of creativity and performance, becoming a go-to brand for stylists seeking both quality and versatility.

Innovations from Pravana

Pravana is renowned for its breakthrough products. The brand’s Intense Therapy Leave-In Spray, a lightweight two-phase hydrating mist, is a stylist favorite and is a best-selling hair care product for Henkel’s Beauty Professional business in North America.

Pravana’s complete range of continuously evolving hair products also includes ChromaSilk® Creme Color – permanent creme hair colors that span over six different tonal families, ChromaSilk VIVIDS® – semi-permanent, non-oxidative hair color that is designed to be used without developer, Platinum Toners – formulated to deliver polished platinum results in just 5 minutes, the Pure Light Collection, The Perfect Blonde® Toning Collection, and more. These vibrant colors as well as a full line of hair care products are designed to assist stylists and clients in meeting a wide variety of beauty needs.

In 2023, Pravana launched a new line of demi-permanent color, HydraGloss, which deposits color with a glossy finish. Each of these products demonstrate Pravana’s commitment to innovation, meeting the comprehensive needs of salon professionals and clients everywhere.

Sustainability from Pravana

Recognizing the beauty industry’s environmental impact, Pravana has embraced sustainability through initiatives that prioritize outcomes such as more recyclable packaging and waste reduction. The brand is committed to reducing its carbon footprint by using as little virgin plastic as possible, and participates in the Green Circle Salon recycling program – the world’s first sustainable salon solution to recover and repurpose beauty waste.

These initiatives are part of Pravana and Henkel’s broader commitment to reducing environmental footprints along with our consumers, customers, and partners, demonstrating that beauty and environmental responsibility can coexist.

Beyond the Pravana Brand

Beyond its product portfolio, Pravana has a strong connection with the salon professional community and is well-known for high levels of engagement with educators and stylists across the region. This strong tie to the hair community is often highlighted at Behind the Chair shows where Pravana educators take the stage to discuss what products and techniques are on the cutting edge for stylists and clients.

Also, as an early adopter in the digital space, Pravana has cultivated a significant presence on social media, with over 1 million followers across its channels, continuously inspiring with new techniques and collaborations with innovators in the hair color and styling industry. To keep up with the latest innovations and launches from Pravana, you can follow the brand on Instagram or visit their website at Pravana.com.

Over the past year, a $200,000 Sands Cares contribution to Americares has continued support for the health-focused relief and development organization’s Asia regional response hub in the Philippines, which Sands has supported since 2020.

In addition, the Sands Cares funding encompasses new U.S. support to help Americares drive recruitment and training initiatives for its roster of qualified emergency responders – medical professionals and emergency response experts – who deploy quickly when disasters strike. The U.S. engagement has centered on creating a regional ambassador structure by recruiting and training 25 new roster members from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Americares responds to more than 30 emergencies, including earthquakes, hurricanes, disease outbreaks and humanitarian crises, around the world each year. Americares maintains a global roster of more than 900 trained professionals who can be activated for deployment.

With the Sands Cares support, Americares began adding new U.S. roster members from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut last July and has already identified 25 professionals who just began the training process. Americares held a training for the new roster members on May 17 in Long Island City, N.Y. The full-day session covered extensive training in Americares emergency response policies and procedures to ensure emergency response teams align with international humanitarian standards.

In the Asia Pacific region, Americares has continued utilizing Sands Cares funding for emergency response training at its Philippines regional hub, which included a regional simulation exercise for 35 roster members in early December. Americares also held a series of disaster risk reduction simulation exercises throughout the Philippines in early May to prepare responders to assess health facilities and provide clinical care and health promotion activities in the immediate aftermath of emergencies.

“The previous investment Sands made in our Philippines emergency programs greatly increased our capacity in Southeast Asia, allowing us to quickly and effectively respond to disasters with medical personnel, medicine, supplies and health programs,” said Provash Budden, Americares deputy senior vice president of emergency programs. “At the same time, our continued partnership is further bolstering our response capabilities and growing our roster of qualified responders in the U.S.”

The 2023-2024 partnership with Americares extended the previous Sands Cares engagement that began in 2020 and supported the organization’s first regional response hub in the Philippines. With the initial Sands Cares funding, Americares increased its emergency roster from 20 to more than 180 members between 2020-2022 and conducted a large-scale regional emergency simulation exercise involving nearly 60 staff and roster members in the Philippines.

During this time, the Sands Cares’ support helped Americares launch responses out of the Philippines hub for Typhoons Doksuri, Noru, Goni, Vamco and Rai; Tropical Storm Nalgae; the Taal Volcano eruption in the Philippines and severe flooding in Vietnam.

Sands’ partnership with Americares is one of several Sands Cares engagements with emergency response and relief organizations in its local communities. To help its regions prepare for and respond to emergencies, Sands Cares’ disaster response and preparedness initiatives span on-the-ground support through funding and in-kind resources, as well as infrastructure investments to help ensure community resilience when crises occur.

To learn more about Sands’ disaster preparedness and response work, read the company’s most recent ESG Report: https://www.sands.com/resources/reports/

Over the past year, a $200,000 Sands Cares contribution to Americares has continued support for the health-focused relief and development organization’s Asia regional response hub in the Philippines, which Sands has supported since 2020.

In addition, the Sands Cares funding encompasses new U.S. support to help Americares drive recruitment and training initiatives for its roster of qualified emergency responders – medical professionals and emergency response experts – who deploy quickly when disasters strike. The U.S. engagement has centered on creating a regional ambassador structure by recruiting and training 25 new roster members from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Americares responds to more than 30 emergencies, including earthquakes, hurricanes, disease outbreaks and humanitarian crises, around the world each year. Americares maintains a global roster of more than 900 trained professionals who can be activated for deployment.

With the Sands Cares support, Americares began adding new U.S. roster members from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut last July and has already identified 25 professionals who just began the training process. Americares held a training for the new roster members on May 17 in Long Island City, N.Y. The full-day session covered extensive training in Americares emergency response policies and procedures to ensure emergency response teams align with international humanitarian standards.

In the Asia Pacific region, Americares has continued utilizing Sands Cares funding for emergency response training at its Philippines regional hub, which included a regional simulation exercise for 35 roster members in early December. Americares also held a series of disaster risk reduction simulation exercises throughout the Philippines in early May to prepare responders to assess health facilities and provide clinical care and health promotion activities in the immediate aftermath of emergencies.

“The previous investment Sands made in our Philippines emergency programs greatly increased our capacity in Southeast Asia, allowing us to quickly and effectively respond to disasters with medical personnel, medicine, supplies and health programs,” said Provash Budden, Americares deputy senior vice president of emergency programs. “At the same time, our continued partnership is further bolstering our response capabilities and growing our roster of qualified responders in the U.S.”

The 2023-2024 partnership with Americares extended the previous Sands Cares engagement that began in 2020 and supported the organization’s first regional response hub in the Philippines. With the initial Sands Cares funding, Americares increased its emergency roster from 20 to more than 180 members between 2020-2022 and conducted a large-scale regional emergency simulation exercise involving nearly 60 staff and roster members in the Philippines.

During this time, the Sands Cares’ support helped Americares launch responses out of the Philippines hub for Typhoons Doksuri, Noru, Goni, Vamco and Rai; Tropical Storm Nalgae; the Taal Volcano eruption in the Philippines and severe flooding in Vietnam.

Sands’ partnership with Americares is one of several Sands Cares engagements with emergency response and relief organizations in its local communities. To help its regions prepare for and respond to emergencies, Sands Cares’ disaster response and preparedness initiatives span on-the-ground support through funding and in-kind resources, as well as infrastructure investments to help ensure community resilience when crises occur.

To learn more about Sands’ disaster preparedness and response work, read the company’s most recent ESG Report: https://www.sands.com/resources/reports/

Keysight employees often engage with the company’s science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education partners to help encourage young students. Here is just one example from this video by Keysight senior microcircuit test electrical engineer, Mohammed Ibrahim, who said “It is such an inspiration to witness the contribution that Keysight makes to foster a deeper understanding and encourage opportunities in STEM-related fields. I had an incredible experience working with the STEM Careers Coalition and Discovery Education teams to produce such work and be part of making the connection from the classroom to careers.”

Tune in to this Discovery Education STEM Careers Coalition video here.

Keysight employees often engage with the company’s science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education partners to help encourage young students. Here is just one example from this video by Keysight senior microcircuit test electrical engineer, Mohammed Ibrahim, who said “It is such an inspiration to witness the contribution that Keysight makes to foster a deeper understanding and encourage opportunities in STEM-related fields. I had an incredible experience working with the STEM Careers Coalition and Discovery Education teams to produce such work and be part of making the connection from the classroom to careers.”

Tune in to this Discovery Education STEM Careers Coalition video here.