Expanding Our Commitment to Supporting Advanced Breast Cancer
The Humanitarian Partnership for Access to Critical Treatments (PACT) for Advanced Breast Cancer
The Max Foundation, ABC Global Alliance and their partners in the Humanitarian PACT Address Urgent Needs of Women Living with Advanced Breast Cancer
At The Max Foundation, our driving focus for 26 years has been to provide patients in low- and middle-income countries with access to life-extending medication. We believe that women living with advanced breast cancer, the most common cancer impacting them in low- and middle-income countries, deserve access to medication that can help improve their health outcomes and quality of life. The Humanitarian Partnership for Access to Critical Treatments (PACT) is a groundbreaking collaboration that shares this unwavering commitment and supports access to medication, treatment, and care for patients in these countries, at no cost to them.
In October 2023, the first three patients began receiving HER2- HR+ advanced breast cancer treatment in Mozambique. The Humanitarian PACT is currently supporting these efforts in nine countries, with plans to expand to additional countries.
There is a compelling unmet medical need, and we are grateful to our partners who share our deep commitment to improving outcomes in the most common cancer impacting women in the low-income world.
— Pat Garcia-Gonzalez, CEO, The Max Foundation
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Perspectives on Access to Medicines
Watch as Pat Garcia-Gonzalez, CEO of The Max Foundation, and Fatima Cardoso, President of ABC Global Alliance, explain the reason for launching the Advanced Breast Cancer Program and the success of this collaboration.
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Managing treatment for advanced breast cancer can pose unique challenges in low- and middle-income countries. Routine pathology, diagnostic exams, and standard medicines aren’t always available. Patients may also receive inadequate treatment, including supportive and palliative care, due to limited resources. This is on top of everyday challenges like locating transportation to medical centers and getting time off from work.
The Humanitarian PACT provides support to address these challenges. In addition to increasing access to treatment, preparations are underway to expand in-country teams, grow the physician network, and introduce programs to strengthen health systems like diagnostics and supportive care.
By helping women overcome these barriers and providing much-needed support, our goal is to restore dignity and hope to those who would otherwise be overlooked.
Cancer knows no boundaries
Globally one out of six deaths is due to cancer
- 70%
of deaths occur in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs)
- 80%
of patients in LMICs are diagnosed with breast cancer at the metastatic stage
- 55%
of those deaths occur in low-and middle-income countries
Humanitarian PACT
The Humanitarian Partnership for Access to Critical Treatments (Humanitarian PACT) is a multi-stakeholder collaboration among professional, non profit and commercial organizations that share the commitment of the Max Foundation to increase global access to treatment, care, and support for people living with cancer.
Members of the Humanitarian PACT, in partnership with The Max Foundation, plan to invest resources and/or their unique knowledge and capabilities to support the expansion of Max Access Solutions in providing access to treatment for HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer.
Founding partners of the Humanitarian PACT for Advanced Breast Cancer include the ABC Global Alliance, the American Society for Clinical Pathology, Cepheid, and Novartis AG.
Accelerating health equity. One patient at a time.
The Max Foundation is initially providing access to advanced breast cancer treatments in 15 countries with plans to expand to 25 countries by 2025. Patients enrolled in the program will receive medication and support free of charge.
Bahamas
44% of Bahamian women with breast cancer were diagnosed at Stage 3 or Stage 4 of this disease.
Benin
More than 75% of breast cancer cases in Benin are diagnosed at advanced clinical stage.
Bhutan
Breast cancer rates are relatively low in Bhutan but overall cancer incidence is expected to rise by more than 80% over the next 2 decades.
Haiti
Classified as resource-poor, breast cancer in Haiti typically presents at an earlier age and at an advanced stage.
Jamaica
Jamaica has one of the highest incidence rates for breast cancer in the Caribbean with a high mortality rate.
Mozambique
Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world with two-thirds of the population living below the poverty line. In Maputo city, the only center where statistics are available, breast cancer is the second most frequent cancer among women after cervical cancer.
Nepal
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in Nepal with delayed diagnosis, poor treatment, palliative and diagnostic services in most parts of the country.
Saint Lucia
With a population of ~180,000, breast cancer has a 16.2% incidence rate among all cancers in St. Lucia and is the most common cancer among women.
Seychelles
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Seychelles with breast cancer the most common among women.
How to Help
The urgent needs of women living with advanced breast cancer has been overlooked. Let us help those who no one else is helping.