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Sustainability

Collaborating to help make cancer care more accessible worldwide

How we’re advancing health equity through partnerships to help patients navigate cancer care

June 2, 2023

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In underserved and under-resourced communities across the globe, from the U.S. to Rwanda, our company is helping patients at risk for and living with cancer access the care they need to stay well and lead fulfilling lives.

We have a global-to-local approach, where we support programs and initiatives that help advance health equity directly in communities around the world by addressing barriers that people may face when accessing high-quality, equitable health care.

Advancing patient-centered cancer care in every community

Our company collaborates with the American Cancer Society (ACS) to address high disparities in cancer care. In the U.S, we partnered with ACS on its Get Screened Initiative, which encourages people to schedule regular cancer screening tests. Through this initiative:

~497K

vulnerable community members enabled to be screened in 2021 and 2022 combined

~11,200

incidences of breast, cervical and colorectal cancer found

Our company also supports Get Screened’s efforts focused on increasing access to lung cancer screening in communities with historical inequities. Through this effort, which includes mobile screening, community outreach, patient navigation and other support, ACS aims to reach up to 10,000 additional eligible individuals.

We’re also helping the ACS bring its expertise in patient navigation to resource-limited settings in sub-Saharan Africa as well as develop a toolkit to help low- and middle-income countries adopt navigation programs as part of delivering comprehensive cancer care.

Our global partnerships at work

In addition, we’ve partnered with City Cancer Challenge to implement a Patient Navigation Program in Kigali, Rwanda. With our support, City Cancer Challenge has trained nurses to become patient navigators. They help patients understand health information more easily, identify and assess cancer care gaps and barriers, help to accelerate the path to health care options, and mitigate the risk of patients falling out of the care continuum.

Olivier Habimana, a cancer patient navigator with City Cancer Challenge, said he witnessed first-hand how this program has given his team the ability to effectively communicate, share and exchange information so that vital data can be used for the benefit of cancer patients.

“Before the implementation of this project, patients faced all sorts of challenges. If they were referred to a hospital for cancer care, sometimes they’d go to the wrong hospital, while others missed their follow-up visits.”

  • Olivier Habimana
Oliver Habimana

The Patient Navigation Program has created an impact in the east African country:

1,220+

patients supported by the program

Building on our legacy for high-quality, equitable care now and in the future

We continue to forge new partnerships to help reach underserved and under-resourced communities. This includes:

  • Partnering to improve access to cancer care to under-served communities in Georgia.
  • Supporting solutions like MedHaul that can help to address transportation barriers to accessing care.
  • Providing access to educational and advocacy resources on the unique challenges faced by Black women
    diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
  • Working with Go Further, a partnership that aims to reduce cervical cancer incidence in HIV positive women in eight African countries with the highest rates of HIV prevalence and cervical cancer deaths in the world.
Our people

Pride, pediatrics and parenting

Meet Rodney Finalle, a doctor, a father and a proud member of our team at MSD

June 2, 2023

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A supportive community can make all the difference. Just ask Dr. Rodney Finalle. 

A father of two, a pediatrician and global director of medical affairs for our vaccines organization, Finalle knows firsthand how having support at home, at work and in your community makes it possible to thrive and truly be yourself.  

“I came out at a time when things were very difficult in the United States,” said Finalle, who served as medical director of the Global Health Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia before joining MSD.

“But I was fortunate to be working for an organization that was very open and supportive and made me feel welcome.”

–Dr. Rodney Finalle

Dr. Rodney Finalle

Becoming a dad 

That was especially evident when Finalle and his partner embarked on starting a family in the ‘90s, at a time when LGBTQ+ families were rare. They adopted two sons within a 12-month period, doubling the size of their little family in a flash.

“I felt pressure to be perfect. There were lots of people scrutinizing the kinds of parents we were.”

–Dr. Rodney Finalle

But that attention wasn’t all bad.  

“The happy surprise was that you can actually change one person at a time,” he said. “People might come in with a preconceived notion of us or our children or what our family was like, but once they met us — once they got to know my kids and see that we were just creating a beautiful family — we found support everywhere we looked.” 

Finding new ways to give back 

Early on, Finalle found support and resources at a local LGBTQ+ community center.  And recently, thanks to a partnership between MSD and a program that matches professionals with nonprofit boards based on their passion and skills, Finalle had the opportunity to join the center’s board of directors.  

“Being able to come back and support this organization as a board member really allows me to weave in my connection with them and serve this mission that has helped me so much over the years,” he said. 

It feels like a full-circle moment for him. 

“It’s been a long journey, but really an empowering one. You forget what it was like in the ‘90s, and I’m happy to say that it’s far better than it was,” Finalle said. “We still have a long way to go, but I am thrilled to work for a company that has policies in place to support us and encourage us to be our true selves.” 

Innovation

Safeguarding the environment through green chemistry

When a manufacturing process doesn’t meet our standards, we build an award-winning, planet-friendly one

June 1, 2023

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Many of us are trying to go green, changing our behavior and lifestyles to reduce our impact on the environment.  And our company is no different. Protecting the environment is a key part of our commitment to operating responsibly. We believe a healthy planet is essential to human and animal health, as well as to the sustainability of our business.  

Going green can also enhance opportunities for product innovation and cost- and risk-reduction. And our efforts have been getting noticed. Members of our small molecule process research and development (SM PR&D) group have been honored recently for their achievements in developing groundbreaking green chemistry solutions.  

Kevin Maloney

“Our strategy is to provide innovative and transformative solutions — rather than incremental improvements to historical practices — to achieve our goals on sustainable manufacturing.”

  • Kevin Maloney
    Executive director, process chemistry, SM PR&D

2023 Peter J. Dunn Award for design of biocatalytic cascade 

MSD was honored for the design of a biocatalytic cascade, a novel process using natural substances including enzymes to build molecular complexity while drastically reducing hazardous waste. 

Stephanie GalaniE

“Enzymes are the action heroes of biology — and with a little training, they can be the superheroes for chemistry, too.”

  • Stephanie Galanie
    Director, protein engineering, enabling technologies PR&D

2022 Green Chemistry Award for the development of a sustainable manufacturing process

This award — given by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) — recognized our company’s development of a green and sustainable manufacturing process for large quantities of medicine while preventing millions of pounds of waste per year.  

Patrick Fier-

“It was more critical than ever that we develop the most green and sustainable processes, as well as invent new reactions to realize the ultimate synthetic route from sustainable raw materials.”

  • Patrick Fier
    Principal scientist, process chemistry, SM PR&D

This marks our sixth consecutive Green Chemistry Challenge Award and ninth overall. 

Colleagues stand and pose on stairs of MSD building

Learn more

Green chemistry is just one way we help support a healthy planet. Our commitment to environmental sustainability focuses on improving operational efficiency, reducing environmental risks in our supply chain and lowering the environmental impact of our products and packaging. Read more about our new goals to achieve carbon neutrality across our operations by 2025.  

Our people

Here for Good: Bridging the gap between bedside and bench

Members of MSD’s lung cancer clinical development team say working in the hospital inspired their drive to innovate for patients

May 19, 2023

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Dr. Ayman Samkari remembers how treating patients during his medical school rotations brought him face to face with the unmet needs of people with cancer. He learned to listen to what matters for patients beyond their diagnoses, and he sought new ways to make a greater impact as an oncologist.

Watch Samkari and Dr. Nazly Shariati discuss their passion for their work:

Two colleagues walk and talk

“Even though I enjoyed every moment of practicing medicine and treating patients with cancer, I had the question at the back of my mind: How can I do things differently? How can I improve patient outcomes?” recalled Samkari, who now works for MSD as executive director in oncology clinical development. “That’s what drove me to pursue my career in clinical research, where I could help patients on a larger scale.”

And after 25 years as a surgeon, when a hand ailment ultimately sidelined her in the operating room, Dr. Nazly Shariati found that research was another avenue to help more patients.

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“MSD allowed me to not only fulfill my goals in life and my career but continue on my path to have an impact on patients’ lives.”

— Dr. Nazly Shariati

Senior principal scientist in oncology clinical development

From careers in clinical care to careers in research

Samkari’s background as an oncologist, and Shariati’s as a surgeon, have informed their work in our lung cancer clinical development program. All too familiar with the challenges of treating patients with advanced disease, Samkari and Shariati are shifting their research to investigating lung cancer at its earlier stages, before it has spread, when it’s more likely to be successfully treated.

When she was a cardiothoracic surgeon, Shariati often felt a sinking feeling whenever a patient’s lung cancer would return, which is common among people diagnosed with lung cancer that was removed surgically. But today she’s excited by scientific advances in resectable lung cancer focused on helping more patients.

Understanding the patient experience

Shariati said understanding the patient experience is what drives a researcher’s passion, innovation and desire to help others.

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“It is very important to have that experience in managing and seeing patients because it gives you a completely different perspective on how you conduct your work.”

— Dr. Ayman Samkari

Executive director in oncology clinical development

Each day, Samkari and Shariati continue to push the boundaries in research to help make a difference for people living with cancer.

Health awareness

VIDEO: Patient with PAH shares her clinical trial experience 

Diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension, Colleen Brunetti knows the importance of participating in clinical trials

May 15, 2023

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Colleen Brunetti is a wife and a mother of two who lives with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) — a rare disease that affects the pulmonary arteries. She’s passionate about helping others affected by PAH and focused on helping the medical community by participating in clinical trials.

Patient volunteers like Brunetti are central to the success of clinical trials. Diverse participation is essential as different people may have different reactions to the same treatment, based on their age, gender, weight, race, ethnicity, lifestyle or severity of illness or disease.

“I'm acutely aware that without clinical trials, we don't move forward.”

— Colleen Brunetti

Participating in a clinical trial requires a supportive team

In addition to her doctors, Brunetti’s family is a key part of her support team. She said it’s vital to be open and understanding of the impact clinical trial participation may have not only on yourself, but also those around you. She added that talking, asking questions and learning more about the benefits and risks of a clinical trial is critical.

“We work as a team together to decide if a clinical trial, or anything that I need, is in my best interest,” she said. “No matter what you go through, there’s going to be changes. Having heart-to-heart conversations about what that looks like and what might need to be adjusted is really important.”

What Brunetti considered when joining a clinical trial

Brunetti said she encourages anyone considering joining a clinical trial to understand that “your doctor has to be your teammate.” She said questions will come up, like:

  • Will I receive the medicine or the placebo?
  • What kind of side effects might I anticipate?
  • How am I going to manage this?
  • What happens if there’s an emergency?

“If it’s not for you, that’s OK,” she said. “But if you can, I would encourage people to jump in with eyes wide open.”

Why it’s so important to participate in clinical trials

Clinical trials are research studies with volunteers designed to learn more about how our bodies respond to medicines, vaccines, medical devices or other treatments. It may take many clinical trials to understand which treatments work and how they work.

Sustainability

3 ways we support the LGBTQ+ community

How we stand by our commitment to allyship both within our company and in the world at large

May 15, 2023

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At MSD, our commitment to equality goes beyond the month of June.

While there has been great progress when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights, there’s still work to be done — and we’re proud to play a role in achieving those goals. MSD has a longstanding tradition of supporting the LGBTQ+ community in our company and beyond. Here are just a few of the ways we stand by our commitment to a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace:

01.

Offering inclusive benefits

We strive for a diverse and inclusive environment, and that means providing a safe and welcoming space for all of our colleagues. It’s more important than ever that we remain committed to creating an environment of belonging, equity and empowerment in the workplace.

In 2018, we implemented our “Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Employee Inclusion in the Workplace Policy” in the U.S. to educate our colleagues and ensure that our transgender and gender non-conforming employees feel safe, protected and welcome. In addition, we’ve made significant enhancements to our transgender-inclusive benefits. In the U.S., our medical plan offers a full range of transgender-related coverage. We also offer an adoption/surrogacy reimbursement program for employees who want to expand their families through adoption or a third-party surrogate.

Globally, transgender health coverage varies by country and is often limited due to local law or the local health care system. However, we continue to support and encourage our employees globally to elevate their voices and support efforts to effect change wherever possible.

02.

How we do business

Our company has consistently scored 100 percent and has been named “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality” on the HRC Corporate Equality Index, the foremost benchmarking survey measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. By cultivating a diverse and inclusive workforce, we promote the discovery of the broadest range of possible medical solutions to address the needs of patients. 

That also extends to whom we do business with outside of our organization. Supplier diversity is integrated into our company’s vision, creating a competitive business advantage and driving shareholder value.

“Diversity is critical for innovation and scientific excellence, as well as for better decision-making and cultural agility,” says Susanna Webber, SVP and chief procurement officer. “Putting people first is firmly embedded into the core values of our company, and that is clearly reflected in our business strategy and procurement processes.”

Our goals go beyond how much we spend with small and diverse-owned businesses. We also expect our suppliers to share our same focus on diversity and inclusion, and, in this way, we help to drive diversity and inclusion on a broader, and even more global scale. 

Donna Dvorak

“I did my research before I joined our company and saw that MSD openly and visibly supports the LGBTQ+ community,” says Donna Dvorak, product manager for change realization and communications. “I had a strong feeling that I would be welcome and comfortable here, and I was right!”

03.

A unique approach to employee outreach

Many companies offer resource groups for employees, but we go a step further. We’ve taken a pioneering and global approach to our diversity strategy through the creation of Employee Business Resource Groups (EBRGs), including the Rainbow Alliance.

With more than 3,500 members across 32 chapters around the globe, the Rainbow Alliance works to inspire and grow an inclusive workplace culture that supports a vibrant network of LGBTQ+ colleagues and allies through talent recruiting and development, community outreach and business integration.

“I feel proud to know that the Rainbow Alliance is having an impact on our colleagues,” says Dvorak, who is part of the leadership team for the Rainbow Alliance in the Czech Republic. “We’re opening eyes and gaining allies.”

Innovation

Pioneering better chemical reactions

MSD scientists help unlock the mystery of a key reaction and refine how molecular compounds are built

May 4, 2023

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Developing a new potential medicine is as much art as science. Chemists must design and create molecules that are tailored to interact with specific regions of the target protein. There are numerous recipes that enable the creation of the desired compound or compound family. Still, it’s sometimes a mystery how it all works. At least, that was the case for an often-used reaction until MSD researchers, working in collaboration with others, took a closer look.

‘Building a key that fits into a lock’

The reaction — decarboxylative coupling — uses two catalysts and can be a fickle process. “We know to expect a certain result, but how it happens is often an enigma,” said Spencer Dreher, senior principal scientist, medicinal chemistry, MSD Research Laboratories (MRL).

Dreher and other talented MRL chemists, including Shane Krska, distinguished scientist, discovery chemistry, worked with scientists in 2021 Nobel Laureate David MacMillan’s lab at Princeton University to learn more about this specific reaction. MacMillan, who is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Chemistry at Princeton University, has had a close working relationship with MSD spanning many years.

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“When we’re building molecules for a particular target, we like to say we’re building a key that fits into a lock."

Shane Krska

Distinguished scientist, discovery chemistry, MRL

“What makes decarboxylative coupling an interesting and powerful reaction is that the result is three dimensional, versus flat, which helps when building a specific shape,” said Krska. “Also, the primary reactants can come in many different configurations, so the number of combinations that can be generated is appealing.”

The team used a systematic approach to map the effect of over 700 diverse molecules that might interact with decarboxylative coupling, using a nanoscale high throughput experimentation technique pioneered at our company. This technique allows the scientists to complete the many reactions and test for results in an automated system using tiny amounts of reagents, robotics and analytical techniques.

Most of the reagents tested were detrimental to the reaction, but one stood out and surprised everyone — phthalimide. “As far as we know, phthalimide is not used as an additive in other reactions, so we were very surprised to see it benefit this reaction,” said Krska.

Understanding the decarboxylative coupling reaction

Once the team identified this key additive, they set out to understand how it worked. They were able to show it stabilized the catalyst, keeping it present and part of the reaction for a longer time, improving yields. They then ran the reaction with many different coupling partners to prove it worked across most reactions.

Not only has the team defined a predictable process for decarboxylative coupling, but they also have shown how their additive mapping process can refine other reactions.

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“I feel like we were able to push the boundaries of scientific understanding in a very fundamental way. This is something that will be beneficial across our industry.”

Spencer Dreher

Senior principal scientist, medicinal chemistry, MRL

The team’s research was recently published in the journal ‘Science’

Learn more and explore careers in R&D at MSD

Scientists working in lab

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Health awareness

From stigma to strength: HIV activist from Lebanon shares his story

Elie Ballan discusses learning about his HIV status and his work to inspire others living with HIV

April 27, 2023

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The first doctor Elie Ballan saw after learning he was HIV positive didn’t shake his hand. He faced judgment from the few people he opened up to about his HIV status and wrestled with feelings of shame. Since then, Ballan has fought through the stigma he faced and found strength in sharing his story as an HIV activist. Ballan, who lives in Lebanon, also works at a non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to supporting the community.

More than 38 million people globally were living with HIV in 2021. Ballan’s story is one of the many stories that inspire us to continue pushing the boundaries of science and help build a better future for all those affected by HIV.

Watch Ballan share his story in the video above.

Learn more about our commitment to HIV treatments and prevention through the years.

Innovation

Our Q1 2023 earnings report

April 27, 2023

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MSD’s Q1 2023 results reflect continued strong underlying performance across key growth drivers, particularly in oncology and vaccines. Our company announced Q1 worldwide sales of $14.5 billion.

“Inspired by our commitment to bring bold science forward to address critical unmet patient needs, we began 2023 with significant advancements across our innovative pipeline,” said Robert M. Davis, chairman and chief executive officer, MSD. “Our first-quarter results are a reflection of the focused execution of our science-led strategy, strong performance across our key growth drivers, continued momentum commercially and operationally, and — most importantly — the collective and dedicated efforts of our colleagues around the world. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made, and we will continue to move with speed and agility to deliver value for patients and shareholders, now and well into the future.”

MSD anticipates full-year 2023 worldwide sales to be between $57.7 billion and $58.9 billion.

Take a look at the infographic below for more details on Q1 2023 results.

Download infographic

MSD Q1 2023 infographic
Health awareness

Supporting colleagues working with cancer

There are so many unknowns after a cancer diagnosis — whether or not you receive support at work shouldn’t be one of them

April 18, 2023

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Chet Kitchen had no idea how his battle with cancer would affect his work. Our colleague of 23 years and director of global regulatory policy wasn’t used to missing big meetings and presentations for hospital visits and oncology appointments.

“It’s a constant balance between trying to focus on work and trying to focus on your health,” said Kitchen. “That’s where having a good company to support you and colleagues who appreciate you and look out for you can make the difference.”

Kitchen is a head and neck cancer survivor. After following his doctor’s treatment plan for stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil, he was told there was no evidence of disease. But a year later, the cancer returned, and he was put on a new treatment plan.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck makes up about 90% of all cases of head and neck cancer. Head and neck cancer can begin in or around the throat, voice box, sinuses, mouth and salivary glands. Symptoms may include a lump in the neck or sore in the mouth or throat that does not heal or may be painful, a sore throat that does not go away, difficulty swallowing, and a change or hoarseness in the voice.

Impact of cancer on careers

“One of the most important things a company can do to support a colleague living with cancer is to listen and understand their needs,” Kitchen said.

“To have the opportunity to take time off was so important,” he said. “My company gave me the flexibility to take care of my emotional needs by allowing me to focus on my health when I needed to, but also to focus on work when I didn’t want to think about cancer.”

Ongoing employment and return to work may help promote a sense of normalcy and control for cancer patients.

“Being diagnosed with cancer may hurt your career or make it more challenging,” Kitchen said.

“But working for our company really invigorated me. I can really appreciate the work that we do and how it impacts patients.”

Why we support the Working with Cancer pledge

At MSD, we’re dedicated to supporting people living and working with cancer around the world. We’re proud to be an accredited CEO Cancer Gold Standard employer and a founding member of the Working with Cancer pledge to help provide a more open, supportive and recovery-forward culture at work for cancer patients like Kitchen.

Chet Kitchen

Today, Kitchen’s cancer is in remission, but that doesn’t mean his patient journey is over.

“Even though you’re not physically battling cancer, it never really leaves you because it’s always somewhere in your mind,” he said. “But one of the things that’s really helped me emotionally through my survivorship is sharing my story.”

Related links

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Oncology

Our team of researchers and scientists are pushing the boundaries of cancer research to discover more effective anticancer therapies.
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Research

We believe research is the will to conquer the impossible and that science will lead the way.
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Patients

We're here to help you get the information you need to guide you on your health journey.