Innovation

MSD partners with health technology company to help optimise lung cancer care

November 2024

MSD has teamed up with health technology company Axana, and 12 lung cancer clinicians from across Europe to develop a new digital solution to speed up lung cancer care.

The ‘NextGen MDT’ programme aims to help clinicians to make cancer care more efficient and, ultimately, improve patient outcomes.

Lung cancer care has become increasingly complex¹, with numerous tests which must be completed before clinicians can diagnose and treat patients,² and many treatment options available.¹However, these tests can be difficult to coordinate² and involve different hospital departments or NHS services.³

Clincians specialising in lung cancer gather weekly in multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings to review each patient’s case and dicuss treatment options.⁴ If clinicians don’t have all of the information that they need prior to the MDT meeting, treatment decisions can be delayed, which can have a negative impact on patient outcomes.⁴

At MSD, we’re determined to tackle this problem. We know that, when it comes to cancer, time is of the essence.

The NextGen MDT programme will strive to give clinicians the time and information that they need to care for their patients. Through the use of intelligent software, the programme aims to integrate patient information into one unified dashboard – simplifying the process of connecting different hospital information systems so that all of the necessary insights about a patient’s cancer are in one place, enabling clinicians to make treatment decisions at the MDT meeting.

Our ultimate goal is to improve the lung cancer patient pathway – reducing the workload of clinicians while speeding up patient access to timely, optimal treatment.

Professor Neal Navani, Respiratory Medicine Consultant and Clinical Lead for Lung Cancer Services at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust supported the development of the NextGen MDT programme. Commenting on the project, he said:

“This ambitious NextGen MDT project will help to streamline and improve our cancer MDT discussions, allowing us to make better decisions which will benefit our patients and healthcare systems.”

Rachel Houlding, National Oncology Healthcare Director at MSD UK, said:

“Early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer is crucial to improving patient outcomes.⁵ Making the patient pathway more efficient is one way to helping patients get the right care for them, sooner – and we believe there is a crucial role that technology can play to achieve this. We are delighted to be working alongside Axana and clinicians across Europe develop such a solution, and look forward to entering the next phase of activity in 2025.”

Jeroen van Duffelen, CEO of Axana, said:

“At Axana, we harness the best minds in data integration and artificial intelligence to address critical challenges in oncology. Our goals are twofold: to enhance clinician efficiency and to expedite patient treatments. Our software streamlines patient data collection and coordination of multidisciplinary team meetings facilitating efficient decision-making by clinical teams. We anticipate that our software will optimize lung cancer care pathways, potentially leading to improved patient outcomes.”

For more information about the NextGen MDT project, please contact corporateaffairsuk@msd.com.

[1] Morabito A, Mercadante E, Muto P, Manzo A, Palumbo G, Sforza V, et al. Improving the quality of patient care in lung cancer: key factors for successful multidisciplinary team working. Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2024;5:260–77. https://doi.org/10.37349/etat.2024.00217

[2] UK Lung Cancer Coalition (November 2023). Scottish Pathways Matter. Available from: https://www.uklcc.org.uk/sites/default/files/2023-10/Final%20UKLCC%20Scottish%20Pathways%20Matter%20report_Nov%202023.pdf

[3] NHS England. Diagnosis: Lung cancer. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/lung-cancer/diagnosis/ [Accessed: September 2024]

[4] Cancer Research UK. Meeting Patient’s Needs: Improving the effectiveness of Multidisciplinary Team meetings in cancer services. 2020. Available from: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/sites/default/files/full_report_meeting_patients_needs_improving_the_effectiveness_of_multidisciplinary_team_meetings_.pdf

[5] Cancer Research UK. Why is early diagnosis important? 2023. Available from: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancer-symptoms/why-is-early-diagnosis-important/1000#:~:text=Around%206%20in%2010%20people,at%20the%20most%20advanced%20stage.

GB-NON-10247 | November 2024

Innovation

Delivering a shared vision for pulmonary arterial hypertension in the UK

September 2024

What can we do, working as partners, to improve the lives of people with pulmonary arterial hypertension?

MSD in the UK have published a policy consensus statement, A Shared Vision for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in the UK, with recommendations driven by expert insights outlining a unified vision for the future of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) care in the UK.

PAH is a rare subtype of pulmonary hypertension.^[i]The time to diagnosis within pulmonary hypertension remains a persistent challenge. In a recent patient survey, 51% of respondents reported waiting more than a year for their diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension after first noticing symptoms. For a quarter of respondents, this wait took longer than three years.^[ii]

Created with input from the Pulmonary Hypertension Association UK, and specialist experts from across the UK, this Consensus Statement provides policy and systems recommendations aimed at reducing the time to diagnosis as a route to improve patient outcomes and deliver savings to the health system.

Read our Policy Consensus Statement

PAH is a rare and debilitating condition that has significant personal impact.^[iii],[iv]It also cost the NHS in England an estimated £43.2 million between 2013 and 2017 through repeat appointments and hospital care^[v] and has a broader impact on the UK economy through loss of workforce productivity.^[iii]

The insights and initiatives held within this Consensus Statement reflect the broad challenges in rare diseases. There is no ‘silver bullet’ which could solve all issues, but 16 recommendations across 8 stakeholder groups, which if implemented have the potential to transform PAH care in the UK.

This Consensus Statement and the activities which formed its development were funded by MSD. We thank all who have contributed and have endorsed its recommendations.

Dr Iain Armstrong, Chair, Pulmonary Hypertension Association UK & Nurse Consultant, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, said:

“PAH carries a huge burden of symptoms and too many people are still waiting too long to be diagnosed. The impact of this delay is wide-ranging, but ultimately, it’s devastating for those individuals – and they deserve better. This consensus statement sheds light on the problem, and we hope it will help drive the change that is so badly needed.”

Professor Jay Suntharalingam, Consultant Respiratory Physician, Royal United Hospitals Bath, said:

“Although rare, Pulmonary Hypertension can be treated – often though patients are diagnosed late or not at all. This report offers a number of practical ways to address this, potentially allowing more people to receive potentially lifesaving interventions, now and in the future.”

Jasveen Chugh, Pharmaceuticals Business Unit Director, MSD UK, said:

“Too often, people are waiting too long before they receive an accurate PAH diagnosis, and their care can start. Once patients are diagnosed NHS care is commendable. Delays in diagnosis are multi-faceted, including increased costs to the health service, and most importantly negatively impacting patient quality of life and outcomes. The insights and recommendations from experts within this Consensus Statement deliver tangible ways different stakeholders can work individually and together, to reduce the time to diagnosis for PAH patients.”

[i] N. Galiè, M. Palazzini, A. Manes (2010). Pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary arterial hypertension: a clarification is needed. European Respiratory Journal 36: 986-990; DOI: 10.1183/09031936.00038410

[ii] PHA UK (2023) Breathless, not voiceless: What it means to live with PH today. Available at: https://www.phauk.org/research/pha-uk-led-research/breathless-not-voiceless-what-it-means-to-live-with-ph-today/ [Accessed August 2024]

[iii] British Heart Foundation. Research into pulmonary arterial hypertension. Available at: https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/research/pulmonary-arterial-hypertension [Accessed August 2024]

[iv] PHA UK (2019). Beneath the surface: the true financial impact of pulmonary hypertension. Available at: https://www.phauk.org/living-with-pulmonary-hypertension/benefits-and-financial-help/the-true-financial-impact-of-ph-survey-results/ [Accessed August 2024]

[v] Exposto F, Hermans R, Nordgren Å et al. (2021). Burden of pulmonary arterial hypertension in England: retrospective HES database analysis. Ther Adv Respir Dis. DOI: 10.1177/1753466621995040. Available at: Burden of pulmonary arterial hypertension in England: retrospective HES database analysis – PMC (nih.gov)

GB-NON-09962 | September 2024

Innovation

MSD unveils state-of-the-art laboratory facility at the Francis Crick Institute

September 2024

We have officially opened our interim laboratory facility housed in the roof space of The Francis Crick Institute, marking an exciting milestone in the growth of our discovery presence in London, and our ongoing collaboration with this world-renowned research centre.

George Addona, Senior Vice President of MSD Research Labs, and Sir Paul Nurse, CEO of The Francis Crick Institute, welcomed Lord Vallance KCB FRS FMedSci FRCP HonFREng, Minister of State for Science, at the opening ceremony held on 5^th September. Together, we celebrated our collective drive towards groundbreaking discovery science that advances human health.

Located at the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter, this is the latest addition to MSD’s integrated global R&D network, that is dedicated to seeking solutions to some of the most complex health challenges faced by patients around the world.

This latest location will foster an effective partnership between our scientists and their counterparts at the Crick, working side-by-side towards the common goal of scientific innovation. The space is leased for an initial period of 3 years in preparation for the 2027 opening of our new MSD Research Laboratories, London and UK Headquarters, in Kings Cross.

The opening of SkyLab, with the central London location offering valuable proximity to the capital’s Knowledge Quarter, builds on MSD’s 100-year heritage in the UK. The new facility will accommodate approximately 50 MSD researchers, who join MSD’s rapidly expanding interdisciplinary London-based team of over 100 scientists with expertise spanning chemistry, pharmacology, neuroscience, and immunology, to unlock new frontiers in early-stage drug discovery.

MSD’s commitment to operating responsibly is evident in the design and construction of this 11,800 sqft facility, which adheres to the highest sustainability standards. Ensuring environmental stewardship is at the heart of MSD’s wider R&D presence reflects our mission for a safe and healthy future for people and communities.

These developments represent another addition to our discovery capabilities as we continue to expand our R&D footprint in the UK and Europe, in anticipation of the opening of our new London home in 2027.

Lord Vallance, Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation, commented:

“The opening of Skylab represents a fantastic opportunity to advance UK science and is a vote of confidence in the UK as an investment destination”

George Addona, Senior Vice President and Head of Discovery, Preclinical and Translational Medicine, MSD Research Laboratories, commented:

“Our talented team of London-based discovery scientists are an integral part of MSD’s global research network, and we are pleased to expand our research presence in London’s Knowledge Quarter.”

GB-NON-10053 | September 2024

Responsibility

Employee volunteering – many ways to make a difference

August 2024

All year round our employees take part in a full range of volunteering experiences, from refereeing at swimming events, to painting walls, or mentoring young people.

All MSD employees are given 40 hours of volunteering time to support a cause they feel passionate about. Every effort counts and individuals have found many ways to make a unique positive impact.

Refereeing at the swimming British Championships

MSD Sales Manager, Adrian, has been volunteering every year for the past twelve years at swimming events across the country. After his daughters started competing in the sport, Adrian become involved in the swimming events. He is now proud to be one of the few referees from a diverse background and that the volunteering policy allows him to pursue this passion. Through his commitment, he has now progressed to become a referee and receives invitations to events across the country, including the Olympic trials in London.

One of his most cherished moments from his volunteering experience is when he was asked to present the medals at the end of the British Championships. To Adrian’s surprise, he had the incredible opportunity to present a medal to his own daughter!

Brightening up community spaces

The ALIANZA UK team recently put their volunteering hours to fantastic use by supporting the Latin American House charity! Our MSD volunteers embarked on a two-day project to paint the office areas of the Latin American House Community Hub, specifically the Brazil and Colombia rooms.

Despite the scorching hot weather, the team did a great job and found it incredibly rewarding to the see the transformation. The ALIANZA UK team contributed to creating a more welcoming and vibrant environment for staff, clients and visitors.

Keeping history alive

One of our employees has found immense joy in utilising her volunteering hours at The American Museum in Bath, a museum of American art and culture surrounded by beautiful gardens.

Working in the herb shop, MSD Sales Manager, Janet, collects herbs from the garden to create Tussie Mussies, a colonial American item to sell to visitors. She volunteers regularly and has started taking her daughter along to volunteer with her!

Being one of the four Americans working at the museum, Janet also appreciates the chance to have conversations with a variety of people about her home country, its history and culture. Volunteering has not only provided her with a connection to her home country but has had a positive impact on her mental wellbeing and Janet encourages others to explore volunteering opportunities available to them!

Mentoring for positive change

Vicky dedicates one hour a week to Motivation, Commitment and Resilience (MCR) Pathways, a national mentoring programme that aims to make a meaningful difference to the lives of young people. Volunteering for one-hour a week during the school term, she consistently provides positive support to teenagers facing various challenges.

Vicky underwent training before being matched with her mentee, ensuring she had the necessary skills for the role, with the programme striving to pair mentors with mentees who share similar interests to create meaningful connections.

She claims ‘At first, I was nervous and wasn’t sure what I had to offer but I believe we all have the necessary skills to simply be there for a young person. All they need is someone to be interested in them.’

Our employees have a number of team initiatives also under way including a donation drive and volunteering at the Whitechapel Mission Charity this coming autumn.

The diverse volunteering experiences of our MSD employees exemplify the variety of ways to make a positive impact. These stories illustrate that regardless of the form it takes, volunteering allows individuals to connect to their passions, make a difference and creative positive change in their communities and beyond.

GB-NON-09983 | August 2024

Partnerships

Exploring Causes of Neurodegenerative Conditions with New Imaging Techniques

August 2024

MSD has embarked on a new collaboration with the Rosalind Franklin Institute (the Franklin) to investigate the causes of neurodegenerative conditions, like Parkinson’s Disease, using advanced imaging techniques.

At MSD we are dedicated to advancing our understanding of disease processes through partnerships. The Franklin develops new technologies to support life sciences and healthcare research, funded through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research council, part of UK Research and Innovation.

This collaboration aims to uncover how malfunctioning of cell regulation processes are implicated in neurodegenerative conditions. By combining MSD’s expertise in drug discovery capabilities with Franklin’s Cryogenic tomography (CryoET) capabilities, we aim to increase the throughput of cellular samples and improve image resolution.

CryoET is a technique that scans the inside of cells to create detailed 3D images at the nanometre scale. This aims to advance our understanding of disease processes, which could have diagnostic benefits for both patients and our healthcare system.

Dr Sandra B. Gabelli, Executive Director and Head of Protein and Structural Chemistry at MSD Research Laboratories, explains that “Until now, structure-based drug design has relied on studying targets purified and removed from the cellular context. With cryoET, we want to explore the next frontier of drug discovery by visualising the drug targets in their native cellular context.”

The Franklin team have been developing this technology so it can be applied to visualise larger samples, such as whole cells or tissues of interest. This work has been carried out in collaboration with Thermo Fisher Scientific and is funded by Wellcome.

Dr Michael Grange, Group leader in Tomography at the Franklin emphasises the importance of collaborating with industry partners: “We are very excited that MSD is keen to be part of our journey. One of our core values is utility – we want to develop technologies that people want to use to achieve their own research goals, both academics and industry partners.”

CryoET is a relatively new technique with considerable barriers to entry. In efforts to expand its uses, this collaboration presents a valuable opportunity to combine Franklin’s technological advancements with MSD’s research expertise. Together, we aspire to gain deeper insights into cell regulation and associated conditions at the cellular level, paving the way for innovative approaches to tackle neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr Darren McKerrecher, Executive Director and Head of London Discovery Chemistry at MSD Research Laboratories, said:

“Enhanced cellular visualisation has the potential to enable a better understanding of underlying cell biology and help inform the pursuit of novel therapeutic mechanisms. We look forward to collaborating with the Rosalind Franklin Institute team and applying their capabilities and expertise in cryo electron tomography as we work to characterise new targets in drug discovery.”

For more information about this project, please contact corporateaffairsuk@msd.com.

GB-NON-09864 | August 2024

Partnerships

Supporting Carers in Lung Cancer

August 2024

How can we support individuals who are caring for their loved ones with lung cancer?

In collaboration with the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation (RCLCF), MSD in the UK have developed a booklet specifically aimed at supporting and guiding individuals who are caring for their loved ones with lung cancer, often known as carers. A carer is someone who looks after a family member, partner, or friend that requires assistance and support during their lung cancer journey. The care they provide is unpaid and can involve practical or emotional support¹.

The booklet, ‘How can I support my loved one with Lung Cancer?’, contains valuable insights from Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation’s patient and carer volunteers. These insights provide information that they found useful when they or their loved ones received their diagnosis. Offering prompts for questions to ask at different stages of diagnosis and treatment, important definitions, and information about available support for carers, the booklet aims to empower individuals to effectively advocate for the needs and concerns of their loved ones throughout their lung cancer journey.

Download the booklet

This booklet has been fully funded and developed by MSD, with input from Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation

Why carers?

According to research from the Global Lung Cancer Coalition (GLCC), a worldwide organisation representing those with lung cancer, many individuals with lung cancer rely on their family and friends for support². These carers often take on various responsibilities, such as offering emotional support, accompanying their loved ones to medical appointments, asking questions during appointments, and providing practical assistance at home. However, these carers may require additional information and support to effectively fulfill their caregiving role.

At MSD in the UK, we put patients at the centre of everything we do and it’s critical that we understand, respect, and honour the experiences of patients and those supporting them. We encourage patient communities to become their own health advocates, make informed decisions and be partners in engaging with the health care systems. This booklet was designed to equip those caring for their loved one with the necessary information to support and advocate for them throughout their lung cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Lorraine Dallas, the Director of Prevention, Information & Support at the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, emphasises the importance of this guide in helping individuals cope with their loved one’s lung cancer diagnosis.

“When someone you love is diagnosed with lung cancer, it can feel overwhelming. This guide helps, giving the key information that you need to prepare yourself and support someone living with lung cancer.”
Lorraine Dallas, Director of Prevention, Information & Support, Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation

MSD is a Trusted Information Creator accredited by the Patient Information Forum. The PIF TICK logo assures readers that MSD’s health information production process adheres to ten criteria, including meeting the genuine needs of individuals, involving end-users in resource creation, and considering health inequalities.

We would love suggestions on how we could do better and things we should do more of. Email our Medical Information team at: medicalinformationuk@msd.com.

¹ NHS England. Who is considered a carer? n.d.; Available from: https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/comm-carers/carers/ [Accessed July 2024]

² 2021 Patient Experience Survey. Global Lung Cancer Coalition. 2021; Available from: https://www.lungcancercoalition.org/surveys/2021-patient-experience-survey/ [Accessed July 2024]

GB-NON-09713 | July 2024

Partnerships

MSD highlights progress on addressing health inequalities in cancer in England

May 2024

How can we learn from the work of Cancer Alliances in reducing health inequalities at a local level?

MSD in the UK have published the report, Driving health equity in cancer: Practical examples from Cancer Alliances, demonstrating the progress Cancer Alliances in England are making towards addressing health inequalities.

The publication, Driving health equity in cancer: Practical examples from Cancer Alliances, brings together a collection of case studies of local projects within Cancer Alliances across the country that aim to overcome the health inequalities in cancer care and outcomes in their area. It highlights practical steps that can be taken, such as working with organisations in the local community, to reach underserved or hard-to-reach populations – who are often more at risk of certain cancer types but don’t readily engage with the health system.

Bringing together practical examples in this way is intended to inspire cancer services and local communities to think differently about the opportunities available to support populations impacted by health inequalities by showcasing steps that can be taken to support them and extend and improve their lives.

Read the report

The project was funded and led by MSD in the UK, working with Cancer Alliances to bring together case studies of the crucial work they have been undertaking over the course of many years.

We are grateful to NHS England National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme Directors and to Macmillan Cancer Support for their endorsement for this project – providing feedback and forewords for the publication:

Professor Peter Johnson, National Clinical Director for Cancer, and Professor Bola Owolabi, Director of the National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme, said:

“The case studies in this report showcase the innovative and responsive ways in which we hoped that Cancer Alliances and other organisations would implement the Core20PLUS5 programme – in their local communities, shaping their work around the community’s specific needs. We have enjoyed hearing about these case studies throughout the project and hope they inspire others, as they have inspired us, to continue our life-saving and important work in addressing health inequalities in cancer across England.”

Claire Taylor MBE, Chief Nursing Officer, and Professor Richard Simcock, Chief Medical Officer, at Macmillan Cancer Support, said:

“Eliminating health inequalities is becoming an increasing priority in the UK as we continue to see widening variation in cancer outcomes. This report offers positive and practical ways to improve health equity with useful insights from others’ key learnings and also further resources you may wish to access.”

Health inequalities have a direct impact on the risk of getting cancer, the speed with which someone is diagnosed, and their likelihood of surviving – MSD’s October 2022 report, Levelling up: what does it mean for the less survivable cancers in England?, analysed national data from some of the least survivable cancers and found that only 49% of people living in the most deprived quintile are diagnosed with cancer at an early stage (stage 1 or 2), compared to 58% of people from the least deprived quintile.¹

It is vital that the Government and NHS continue to focus on tackling inequalities to achieve the early diagnosis and survival ambitions set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.²

Benson Fayehun, MSD UK Oncology Business Unit Head

“Addressing health inequalities is deeply personal to me and is one of the biggest barriers we face to improving the nation’s health. National commitments and leadership help set the tone and direction – but it is through learning from, and innovating with, communities on the ground that we see the action needed to bring about positive change and improve people’s lives.

We are delighted to have been able to bring together some of the fantastic and inspiring work that Cancer Alliances have undertaken in partnership with local charities and community organisations to overcome cultural, physical or logistical barriers to equal healthcare. By sharing these positive examples we hope to inspire others within the health system, local authorities, charities and community groups to think differently about their roles in addressing health inequalities and the opportunities that there are to support their local populations.”

Examples of the fantastic projects Cancer Alliances have been delivering, include:

The Alright Me Liver? campaign in Somerset, Wiltshire, Avon & Gloucestershire to improve early detection of liver cancer – one of the less survivable cancers – in deprived communities, who have an increased risk of death from liver cancer.³

This Van Can is a mobile health clinic targeting groups at higher risk of prostate cancer in Greater Manchester.
You Need to Know campaign in Northeast London to tackle low awareness of womb cancer, where incidence and mortality rates are higher in people of non-white ethnicities and from more deprived communities.^4,5
Efforts in Southeast London to ensure patients with learning difficulties receive optimal care

[1] MSD, Levelling up: what does it mean for the less survivable cancers in England?, September 2022, job number: GB-NON-06239. Available: https://www.msd-uk.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2022/10/Levelling-up_What-does-it-mean-for-the-less-survivable-cancers-in-England.pdf

[2] NHS England (2019). NHS long term plan: chapter three: cancer. Available: https://www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/online-version/chapter-3-further-progress-on-care-quality-and-outcomes/better-care-for-major-health-conditions/cancer/#:~:text=This%20Long%20Term%20Plan%20sets,least%20five%20years%20after%20diagnosis. Accessed April 2024

[3] Mayor of Bristol (2023). Alright my liver? Liver cancer awareness month. Available: https://thebristolmayor.com/2023/10/01/alright-my-liver/ Accessed JApril 2024.

[4] Cancer Research UK, Uterine cancer statistics. Available: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/uterine-cancer#heading-Zero Accessed April 2024.

[5] Cancer Research UK, Uterine cancer statistics,. Available: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/uterine-cancer#heading-Zero Accessed April 2024

GB-NON-09360 | May 2024

Responsibility

MSD for Mothers Reaches 30 Million Women Worldwide

May 2024

MSD has announced that MSD for Mothers has reached more than 30 million women through programs promoting safe, high-quality and respectful maternal health care – surpassing its goal of reaching 25 million women by 2025.

MSD for Mothers is dedicated to finding solutions to end maternal mortality with over 200 programs in more than 70 countries designed to deliver on the unique maternal health needs of women around the world.

While the maternal health landscape has experienced progress in recent years, maternal mortality remains a reality for too many. According to the World Health Organization, a maternal death occurred nearly every two minutes in 2020, with almost 95% occurring in low-income or lower middle-income countries. Through MSD for Mothers, the company upholds its commitment to expanding access to health and accelerating progress toward one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal targets: to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030.

To advance this ambition, MSD for Mothers works closely with various public and private sector collaborators to strengthen health systems for the long-term and address the diverse needs of moms, babies and families globally.

“I am so proud of our company’s long-standing commitment to our MSD for Mothers initiative, which is dedicated to improving maternal health outcomes around the world,” said Allison Goldberg, president of our company’s foundation. “Through MSD for Mothers, we have now helped more than 30 million women access high-quality, life-saving care around pregnancy and childbirth – surpassing our goal of reaching 25 million women by 2025. This milestone serves as a reminder that much work is left to be done, and we remain committed to helping create a world where no woman has to die while giving life.”

To learn more about this milestone achievement, read the company’s full announcement here.

GB-NON-09434 | May 2024

Partnerships

Bridging the gap between industry and academic research with Open Targets

April 2024

MSD is pleased to be the latest partner to join the Open Targets Consortium, a public-private partnership that aims to tackle high attrition rates of potential new therapies in clinical trials, aiding MSD’s drug discovery efforts in London and globally.

Research shows that clinical trials are more likely to succeed when the link between the disease and the drug target is supported by evidence from genetics and genomics studies.[1] By generating and interpreting the evidence that informs decision making in drug target discovery, the consortium helps bridge the gap between industry and academic research.

Joining other industry and research partners, MSD will support Open Targets to accelerate the development of safe and effective medicines by leveraging cutting-edge technologies to identify, prioritise, and validate potential drug targets.

MSD’s expertise in drug discovery, combined with the consortium’s comprehensive tool that optimises target validation, extensive research portfolio and cutting-edge informatics approaches to address all elements of human health and disease, enables a specific focus on immunology and inflammation, oncology, and neurodegeneration.

Founded in 2014, the partnership endeavours to share data, methods and knowledge generated by the consortium with the wider scientific community.

“We are pleased to join the Open Targets consortium and believe this unique public-private model will allow us to leverage large-scale genomics data along with advances in AI and machine learning, so we can better understand the underlying drivers of disease and enable more efficient target discovery,” said Iya Khalil, Vice President and Head of Data, AI and genome sciences, MSD Research Laboratories. “We look forward to working closely with our partners at Open Targets.”

Maisy Szabo

+447852508960

maisy.szabo@msd.com

Ochoa et al. (2022) Human genetics evidence supports two-thirds of the 2021 FDA-approved drugs. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, Rusina et al. (2023) Genetic support for FDA-approved drugs over the past decade. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery

GB-NON-09349 | April 2024

Partnerships

MSD & the fight against Hepatitis C continues!

April 2024

How are we partnering with the NHS to deliver hepatitis C elimination?

Building on the success of the initial 5 year programme, the world leading initiative to find, test and treat people at risk of hepatitis C has been extended for another 2 years.

MSD is proud to be part of the NHS Elimination programme which is a first of its kind programme, involving a close collaboration between NHS England, the Hepatitis C Trust, Operational Delivery Networks (ODNs), the pharmaceutical industry (Abbvie, Gilead and MSD), His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSE) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Chronic hepatitis C infection, caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), is thought to affect over 62,600 people in England.^[1]Symptoms can take years to develop and as a result, many people are unaware that they are living with the virus. If left untreated, HCV can lead to serious health problems including cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver failure and liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma, HCC).^[2] This not only places a heavy burden on the individual, but on the NHS and the economy.^[3.4]

In 2016, the UK Government signed up to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Health Sector Strategy (GHSS) on Viral Hepatitis which commits participating countries to the elimination of HCV as a major public health threat by 2030. NHS England is working to surpass the WHO target through a number of initiatives including a unique and innovative partnership – The Hepatitis C Elimination Programme.^[2]

In this unique 7 year programme, a series of ‘elimination initiatives’ are being provided by the NHS and industry, which aim to identify potential patients, test for infection and offer treatment to everyone who needs it. Working with 24 Operational Delivery Networks, which were set up across England to help manage hepatitis C services at a local level, MSD has supported elimination through four elimination initiatives:

Point of Care Testing (POCT): In partnership with Cepheid, we are rolling out Cepheid rapid HCV RNA testing equipment to prisons, community projects and outreach services. Delivering rapid finger-prick testing that delivers results in 1 hour.

Patient Search Identification (PSI): A case-finding tool which searches for coded HCV risk factors in patient records in primary care settings to identify potentially at-risk patients that should be reviewed and, if appropriate, tested.

Peer-to-Peer Support (P2P): Through partnership with the Hepatitis C Trust (THCT), we are providing a network of peer volunteers with lived experience of HCV to provide education, encouragement and support directly to patients throughout the treatment and care journey. Through this partnership, we are also working to develop a community-led model to reach out to south Asian communities. These communities have a higher prevalence of HCV infection than the general population, but have often been excluded from receiving culturally relevant information and interventions.

Community Liaison Officers (CLO): Community Liaison Officers work with the ODN clinical teams to align and coordinate hepatitis C services and provide outreach to patients attending clinics, as well as working in homeless hostels, night shelters and drug treatment centres.

To speak to a member of the team, please contact Elimination Programme Lead, Kuldip Sembhi at: Kuldip.sembhi@msd.com

¹ UKHSA Hepatitis C in England 2023. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hepatitis-c-in-the-uk/hepatitis-c-in-england-2023. Last accessed March 2024

² UKHSA Hepatitis C in England 2022 Report: Working to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health problem Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1057271/HCV-in-England-2022-full-report.pdf. Last Accessed March 2024

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