​Partner honored for multi-year leadership commitment to Get Screened initiative.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) announced in a press release that Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, has been awarded the 2021 Corporate Partner of the Year Award, a national honor presented in recognition of its incredible impact on the development goals of ACS. The company was also recognized in a tweet.

Genentech made a multi-year leadership commitment as a founding sponsor of ACS’s Get Screened initiative, a comprehensive multi-sector national movement to restore cancer screening rates to pre-pandemic levels. As a shared priority to advance health equity principles and increase cancer screening, Genentech activated its employee network to accelerate social media activities, drove local activation of campaign efforts, advised regional cancer control projects, and participated in the National Consortium. 

“The initiative reflects Genentech’s broader commitment to support the development of interventions to advance health equity,” said Jennifer Lombardo, vice president of Corporate Alliances & Solutions for the American Cancer Society. “Their investment has enabled ACS to initiate this transformative campaign and execute a variety of key components nationwide.”

"We believe every person with cancer deserves the best possible care, from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and monitoring," said Fritz Bittenbender, senior vice president of Access & External Affairs at Genentech. "Realizing this is only possible through the power of partnerships. We are proud of our longstanding relationship with the American Cancer Society and to be recognized as their Corporate Partner of the Year."

In addition to the Get Screened campaign, Genentech partnered with ACS on various impactful initiatives to further its commitment to the mission of the ACS. Some of these included:

• Cancer Screen Week, is a collaborative effort among ACS, Stand Up To Cancer and Optum to increase public awareness and understanding of the potentially lifesaving benefits of early cancer detection through screening.
• Screen Your Lungs campaign, sponsored by Genentech, focused on highlighting the importance of lung cancer screening through a public service announcement and robust advertising campaign, complete with a website for consumers to determine screening eligibility through a quiz.
• Serving as a member and sponsor of The National Lung Cancer Roundtable (NLCRT): Launched in 2017 and has brought together and galvanized more than 170 leading organizations, professional societies, government agencies, cancer centers, academic institutions, and health plans to help to reduce lung cancer mortality.
• Long-time sponsor of the National Navigation Roundtable (NNRT): Launched in 2017, the NNRT is a national coalition of organizations and invited individuals dedicated to advancing navigation efforts that eliminate barriers to quality care, reduce disparities, and foster ongoing health equity across the cancer continuum.
• Extensive engagement and partnership elevating mission activities and addressing health disparities and awareness

Dr. Karen Knudsen, chief executive officer of ACS, is a member of Genentech’s Scientific Resource Board.