Education and Awareness

Novartis joins Susan G. Komen in first-of-its-kind breast cancer policy coalition

Mar 12, 2025

Thanks to medical breakthroughs and early detection, breast cancer mortality has declined by 44% among American women in the last few decades. But this year in the US alone, more than 310,000 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and nearly 43,000 will die of the disease. We can do better.

Together with Susan G. Komen(link is external), Novartis is proud to announce the creation and launch of the Alliance for Breast Cancer Policy(link is external). The coalition comprises more than 20 partner organizations and is the only group focused on advancing patient-centered policy solutions to help improve outcomes for breast cancer patients. This work will include the federal Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis Act, which aims to reduce financial barriers to care by requiring private health plans, including high-deductible plans, to fully cover the cost of diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging.

After more than 30 years of working to develop transformative treatments for this disease, our understanding of the needs of people touched by breast cancer and those who care for them continues to grow. As the sole industry sponsor and member on the Alliance’s Steering Committee, Novartis is committed to the coalition’s mission to remove barriers to breast cancer care and improve health outcomes for patients to transform breast cancer care through policy innovation.

"Despite the great strides that have been made in screening and treating breast cancer, several barriers remain that hinder timely access to quality care," said Reshema Kemps-Polanco, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Novartis US. "We have a long history of pioneering breast cancer research and now, through this partnership, we take a significant step forward to address challenges faced by patients and families that go beyond the medicine. Together, we can drive meaningful change for generations to come."

The coalition will also focus on more accurately capturing the experiences of people living with metastatic breast cancer (mBC), ultimately helping equip policymakers with data to improve access to treatment and resourcing to support the health outcomes for those individuals with mBC.

Collaborating with the Broader Breast Cancer Community 

Addressing the devastating toll of breast cancer requires a broad, collaborative approach, especially with breast cancer incidence rates remaining on the rise and diagnoses happening in younger women. Novartis has a longstanding collaboration with Susan G. Komen and other members of the coalition, and we are proud founding members of the Alliance for Breast Cancer Policy’s steering committee. 

In addition to our policy work through the coalition, we continue to work alongside our advocacy partners, health care providers, and other members of the community to champion transformative progress for people affected by the disease. This includes our work to:

  • Leverage cutting-edge technology to enhance clinical trial representation, enrollment efforts, and data collection to gather more accurate and relevant scientific insights across geographies and patient demographics; 
  • Improve access and support across the breast cancer journey for patients from all communities and backgrounds;
  • Bridge care gaps between people in historically underserved groups and providers in order to improve outcomes;
  • Promote awareness about risk factors and the importance of routine screening among women at risk of developing breast cancer. 

Learn more about our ongoing commitment to breast cancer care.