Merck Serono and Quintiles Announce Innovative Clinical Development Partnership

• Agreement creates unique strategic collaboration for development and clinical trial execution

Darmstadt, May 15, 2013 – Merck and Quintiles, the world’s largest provider of biopharmaceutical development and commercial outsourcing services, today announced a new, five-year clinical development agreement. This strategic collaboration is the first-of-its-kind between a biopharmaceutical company or division and a biopharmaceutical services provider, creating a comprehensive process that integrates the expertise and experience from both organizations into a single, well-aligned clinical development engine.

In a novel approach to clinical development that is founded on a shared commitment to cost-disciplined science, the collaboration is intended to optimize productivity in the design and execution of studies with a focus on quality, speed and efficiency.

Under this agreement, Merck will shape and lead the strategy of its clinical development programs, with Quintiles directing clinical trial planning and execution. Quintiles also will be a key contributor to Merck’s future clinical trial design activities. In this capacity, Quintiles will focus on delivering superior performance based on optimized clinical trial design and execution strategies, using highly efficient processes and proven technologies.

Annalisa Jenkins, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Development and Medical at Merck Serono

To fully leverage the expertise of both organizations, leaders from Quintiles will collaborate in strategic decision-making processes affecting the development of Merck Serono division’s portfolio.

“By combining the strengths of Merck Serono and Quintiles, we are creating a new model in clinical development that will unlock the knowledge and insights of both companies,” says Annalisa Jenkins, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Development and Medical at the Merck Serono division. “This is an innovative and unique collaboration that will help to translate the highest-quality science into efficiency and agility throughout our clinical trials, while enhancing our competitive position in an increasingly challenging environment of clinical drug development.”

Moving forward, Quintiles will be the sole-primary provider of Merck Serono’s outsourced clinical development services for its global clinical programs. The agreement will span the full spectrum of clinical development, from Phase I through to post-marketing approvals. Importantly, it will also allow the Merck Serono division to expand its reach globally by leveraging the broad local expertise of Quintiles to implement development programs around the world.

Tom Pike, CEO, Quintiles

“This agreement is built upon a long-standing commitment to trust and transparency between our two organizations, and I’m confident it will only be enhanced by this innovative relationship,” says Tom Pike, Chief Executive Officer at Quintiles. “We are excited about the opportunities this collaboration provides as we work with Merck in a new and innovative manner that leverages the best of our combined capabilities. We view this as a key step forward not only for our two companies, but for the way the industry approaches the development of new therapies for the patients we ultimately serve.”

The agreement reflects a shared commitment between both organizations to delivering optimal performance in clinical development. The objective is to expedite the delivery of new therapeutic options to patients with high medical need across Merck Serono division’s core research areas of neurology, oncology, immuno-oncology and immunology.

Source: http://news.merck.de/N/0/8D7D4F3A390E5356C1257B6C002BC46F/$File/Quintiles_eng.pdf

About Quintiles
Quintiles (NYSE: Q) is the world’s largest provider of biopharmaceutical development and commercial outsourcing services with a network of more than 27,000 employees conducting business in approximately 100 countries. We have helped develop or commercialize all of the top-50 best-selling drugs on the market. Quintiles applies the breadth and depth of our service offerings along with extensive therapeutic, scientific and analytics expertise to help our customers navigate an increasingly complex healthcare environment as they seek to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of better healthcare outcomes.

About Merck Serono
Merck Serono is the biopharmaceutical division of Merck. With headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany, Merck Serono offers leading brands in 150 countries to help patients with cancer, multiple sclerosis, infertility, endocrine and metabolic disorders as well as cardiovascular diseases. In the United States and Canada, EMD Serono operates as a separately incorporated subsidiary of Merck Serono.

Merck Serono discovers, develops, manufactures and markets prescription medicines of both chemical and biological origin in specialist indications. We have an enduring commitment to deliver novel therapies in our core focus areas of neurology, oncology, immuno-oncology and immunology.

About Merck
Merck is a leading pharmaceutical, chemical and life science company with total revenues of €11.2 billion in 2012, a history that began in 1668, and a future shaped by approx. 39,000 employees in 66 countries. Its success is characterized by innovations from entrepreneurial employees. Merck’s operating activities come under the umbrella of Merck KGaA, in which the Merck family holds an approximately 70% interest and free shareholders own the remaining approximately 30%. In 1917 the U.S. subsidiary Merck & Co. was expropriated and has been an independent company ever since.

For more information, please visit http://www.merckserono.com or http://www.merckgroup.com or http://www.merckserono.in

 

Merck Wants to Achieve 2014 Goals Already This Year Following a Successful Start

• Q1 2013 sales up 4% to € 2.7 billion; EPS pre jumps 27% to € 2.11
• EBITDA pre rises 19% to € 801 million due to organic growth, better product mix and more efficient cost structure
• ‘Fit for 2018’ initiatives become increasingly visible, program on track
• 2013 guidance: Merck wants to achieve 2014 goals for sales and earnings already in 2013; EBITDA pre ~ € 3.1 billion to € 3.2 billion

Darmstadt, May 14, 2013 – “Merck got off to a solid and profitable start in 2013 with all four divisions contributing to our organic sales growth. In addition, we are making excellent progress on our ‘Fit for 2018’ program. This can clearly be seen in the 19% increase in EBITDA pre one-time items,” said Karl-Ludwig Kley, Chairman of the Executive Board of Merck. “In fact, we expect that by the end of the year, EBITDA pre should exceed € 3 billion.”

Total revenues of the Merck Group increased by 4.4% to € 2,761 million in the first quarter of 2013 (Q1 2012: € 2,645 million), fueled by organic growth of 5.6%. First-quarter 2013 sales (total revenues less royalty, license and commission income) rose by 3.8% to € 2,660 million (Q1 2012: € 2,564 million). Organic sales growth of 5.0% was accompanied by a 1.4% decline from changes in foreign exchange rates.

The key operational indicator of the Group, EBITDA pre one-time items, rose by 19% to € 801 million € (Q1 2012: € 674 million), equivalent to 30.1% of sales. With this, the 30% mark was exceeded for the first time (Q1 2012: 26.3%).

The “Fit for 2018” efficiency program is progressing faster than planned. For 2013, Merck is now assuming it will achieve further savings of around € 165 million compared to 2012 while incurring related expenses of about € 230 million. In the first quarter of 2013, one-time items totaling € 47 million were reported, including € 42 million related to “Fit for 2018″ (Q1 2012: € 21 million, € 11 million of which was attributable to “Fit for 2018″). This led to a 27% increase in other operating expenses to € 184 million (Q1 2012: € 145 million).

In the first quarter of 2013, the Merck Serono division maintained the strong momentum of the previous quarters. Total revenues increased by 3.5% to € 1,548 million (Q1 2012: € 1,495 million). This reflected robust organic growth of 4.9% and a decline of 1.4% due to changes in foreign exchange rates. The division’s sales rose by 2.6% to € 1,454 million (Q1 2012: € 1,417 million) resulting from organic growth of 4.0% and a negative exchange rate impact of -1.4%.

Sales in Emerging Markets, the division’s second-largest region by sales, grew organically by 8.3% to € 426 million (Q1 2012: € 408 million). Overall, Emerging Markets generated an unchanged 29% of divisional sales.

Merck’s largest single product, Rebif®, for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis grew by 6.0% organically to € 454 million in the first quarter of 2013 due to price increases in the United States as well as improved sales in Europe. Sales of the targeted cancer treatment Erbitux® rose 6.6% organically in the quarter to € 222 million.

Excluding one-time items, Merck Serono’s EBITDA pre grew by 15% to € 463 million in the first quarter of 2013 (Q1 2012: € 403 million) and the EBITDA margin pre one-time items rose to 31.8% (Q1 2012: 28.4%). The substantial EBITDA pre percentage increase reflects the improved cost structure of the division as an outcome of the “Fit for 2018” program.

Merck Guidance for 2013
With the publication of the results of fiscal 2012 on March 7, 2013, Merck provided qualitative guidance on the expected sales and results of its divisions and the Group for 2013.

Now, based on an analysis of the business climates in which the four divisions operate as well as the good business developments in terms of both sales and earnings in the past

Source: http://news.merck.de/N/0/7C933781B3CAFD5FC1257B6A006EA6B2/$File/Q1-2013-release.pdf
All Merck Press Releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Website. Please go to http://www.merckgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service.

About Merck
Merck is a leading pharmaceutical, chemical and life science company with total revenues of € 11.2 billion in 2012, a history that began in 1668, and a future shaped by approx. 38,000 employees in 66 countries. Its success is characterized by innovations from entrepreneurial employees. Merck’s operating activities come under the umbrella of Merck KGaA, in which the Merck family holds an approximately 70% interest and free shareholders own the remaining approximately 30%. In 1917 the U.S. subsidiary Merck & Co. was expropriated and has been an independent company ever since.

 

Immunotherapy for a Complete Cure from Allergy

 

Merck – Living Innovation

Merck presents new slogan and mission statement at its annual general meeting

Darmstadt/Frankfurt, April 26, 2013 – The new slogan “Merck – Living Innovation“ (German: “Merck – Wir leben Innovation”) was presented to the public today at the company’s annual general meeting at the Jahrhunderthalle in Frankfurt, Germany. It replaces the various other slogans previously used by Merck for the Group and the four divisions. The slogan is complemented by a new mission statement: “Our aspiration is to make great things happen. With our research-driven specialty businesses, we help patients, customers, partners and our communities around the world to live a better life. We deliver entrepreneurial success through innovation.”

Both the slogan and the mission statement place innovation at the fore. On the one hand, innovation refers to new products that Merck offers its customers. On the other hand, innovation also focuses on company processes and structures.

“Product and process innovations are both supported by a corporate culture that is never satisfied with what has been achieved, a corporate culture where the better is always the enemy of the good,” said Merck Executive Board Chairman Karl-Ludwig Kley. “This corporate culture characterizes Merck. That is also why our new slogan ‘Merck – Living Innovation’ suits us so well.”

Kley continued: “Change – in the sense of innovative change – has always been our anchor of stability. And “Fit for 2018″ is the current synonym for living innovation.”

After having launched its combined efficiency and growth program well over a year ago, Merck has simplified its organizational structure, created leaner processes and introduced extensive cost-cutting measures. In the Merck Serono division, the research and development organization has been repositioned and growth projects for the key products Erbitux® and Rebif® have been launched.

The Consumer Health division is focusing on strategic brands that offer the greatest growth potential as well as strengthening the business in Asia and Latin America. Apart from defending its market and innovation leadership in liquid crystals, Performance Materials is also working on the further development of new technologies such as OLEDs. And at Merck Millipore, heavy investments are being made in research and development in order to solidify its strong position as a supplier of innovative tools and solutions for the life science industry.

 

FY 2012: Merck Transformation Fuels Performance and Profitability

• Total revenues increased 8.7% to €11.2 billion
• EBITDA pre rose 8.9% to € 2.96 billion, slightly exceeding guidance
• Free cash flow increased 42%; net debt cut by € 1.6 billion to € 1.9 billion
• 2012 savings implemented faster than planned: ~€ 115 million compared to planned € 55 million
• Proposed dividend increase of 13% to € 1.70 per share, demonstrates strength of underlying business

Darmstadt, March 7, 2013 – “In 2012, Merck continued successfully down the Road to Tomorrow. Not only did we make progress with one of the most extensive change programs in the 345-year history of the company, we also succeeded in further expanding our business in a challenging economic environment,” said Karl-Ludwig Kley, Chairman of the Executive Board of Merck.

* Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and one-time items
** EPS adjusted by net of tax effect of one-time items and amortization of purchased intangible assets. Reconciliation from reported results available on Merck Investor Relations website

Total revenues of the Merck Group rose 8.7% in 2012 to € 11,173 million (2011: € 10,276 million) while fourth quarter total revenues were up 8.0% to € 2,835 million. Full-year sales grew by 8.4% to € 10,741 million (2011: € 9,906 million) reflecting a 4.5% organic increase, 3.6% growth based on changes in foreign exchange rates and 0.3% growth due to acquisitions. Fourth-quarter sales rose 7.4% to € 2,712 million as a result of 5.6% organic growth and 1.8% from changes in foreign exchange rates.

The key operational indicator of the Group, EBITDA pre one-time items, increased by 8.9% to € 2,965 million, or 27.6% of sales, in 2012 (2011: € 2,724 million or 27.5% of sales). All divisions contributed to the increase in EBITDA pre one-time items. In the fourth quarter of 2012, EBITDA pre rose 16% to € 790 million compared to the year-ago period.

During 2012, the Group realized around € 115 million in net savings as a result of the restructuring initiative “Fit for 2018.” The majority of savings (~€ 100 million) were achieved in Merck Serono followed by Consumer Health (~€ 10 million). The Performance Materials division – specifically its Pigments business – contributed about € 5 million. The previously announced Group goal of total annual savings by 2018 of € 365 million is now lifted by € 20 million to € 385 million because of the reorganization that began in the Pigments business.

Two-thirds of the restructuring costs of € 504 million incurred in 2012 were reported in the Merck Serono division.

One-time items (including impairments) of € -664 million weighed on reported net income (profit after tax attributable to Merck KGaA shareholders) of € 567 million (2011: € 607 million) or earnings per share (EPS) of € 2.61 (2011: € 2.79). However, adjusted for one-time items, EPS pre one-time items increased 12% to € 7.61 (2011: € 6.79). In the fourth quarter of 2012, reported net income and EPS more than doubled to € 272 million (Q4 2011: € 133 million) and € 1.25 (Q4 2011: € 0.61), respectively, due to favorable one-time effects on income tax as well as a better operational performance. Fourth-quarter EPS pre one-time items grew 23.5% to € 2.05 (Q4 2011: € 1.66).

Merck’s strong operational performance in 2012 as well as effective working capital management generated a record free cash flow of € 2,040 million (2011: € 1,436 million), up 42 %. Fourth-quarter 2012 free cash flow was € 180 million (Q4 2011: € 56 million). Net financial debt (financial liabilities minus cash and cash equivalents as well as short-term securities and financial assets) decreased to € 1,926 million as of December 31, 2012 (December 31, 2011: € 3,484 million).

As of December 31, 2012, the Merck Group had 38,847 employees (December 31, 2011: 40,676).

Merck’s four divisions
In 2012, Merck Serono’s total revenues rose to € 6,405 million (2011: € 5,920 million), up 8.2%. Sales increased 7.8% to € 5,996 million (2011: € 5,564 million) driven by organic sales growth of 4.9% and 2.8% from changes in foreign exchange rates, primarily owing to a stronger U.S. dollar. In the fourth quarter of 2012, the division’s total revenues increased 6.1% to € 1,638 million (Q4 2011: € 1,544 million) while sales were up 5.0% to € 1,522 million (Q4 2011: € 1,449 million).

From a geographic perspective, the percentage of sales Merck Serono generated outside of Europe climbed to 58% in 2012 (2011: 54%). This was driven by the strong performance in North America, which reported an organic sales increase of 17% to € 1,335 million, and represented 22% of the division’s sales. Sales in the Rest of World regions grew 12% organically to € 422 million while organic growth in the Emerging Markets grew by 6.8% and represented € 1,737 million of total sales for the division. Challenging business conditions in Europe, impacted by lower pricing as well as healthcare budget cuts, resulted in a 2.1% organic decline in sales to € 2,502 million.

Merck’s largest single product, Rebif®, for the treatment of relapsing forms of MS grew 7.5% organically to € 1,893 million (2011: € 1,691 million), primarily as a result of price increases in the United States. Sales of the targeted cancer treatment Erbitux® grew 1.9% organically in 2012, amounting to € 887 million (2011: € 855 million).

Adjusting for one-time items, divisional EBITDA pre one-time items increased 13.8% to € 1,785 million (2011: 1,569 million) reflecting a margin (in % of sales) of 29.8% (2011: 28.2%). This increase includes around € 100 million net savings related to the efficiency program.

The Consumer Health division reported sales of € 473 million in 2012, compared to € 494 million in 2011. To fundamentally improve its operational profitability, Consumer Health began the process of restructuring its operations in 2012 and has decided to re-focus investments on profitable products with leading positions in a number of important markets. For example, Seven Seas in the UK will be outsourcing manufacturing and packaging of its cod liver oil products and relocating commercial operations to London. As a consequence of these interventions, sales declined organically by 6.2% owing to softer sales of local and non-core brands and in some cases the complete exit from unprofitable markets and brands. Positive exchange rate effects of 1.8% were only partly able to compensate for this decline. The division’s fourth-quarter sales declined 5.0% to € 121 million (Q4-2011: € 128 million).

EBITDA pre one-time items grew 8.4% to € 63 million (2011: € 59 million). This increase includes structural net savings of around € 10 million from the efficiency program. The EBITDA pre margin (as % of sales) climbed to 13.4% (2011: 11.8%).

Performance Materials performed strongly in 2012, generating record sales of € 1,674 million (2011: € 1,465 million), an outstanding increase of 14.3%. The division benefited significantly from the stronger U.S. dollar as a dominant portion of its sales is booked in this currency. As a result, changes in foreign exchange rates added 7.0%. Organically, the division grew by 7.4% as robust growth trends in the flat panel display industry stimulated strong demand for liquid crystal materials, which contribute more than 70% to divisional sales. The Pigments & Cosmetics business unit also increased its sales in 2012. The division’s fourth-quarter sales rose 21% to € 416 million (Q4 2011: 343 million).

Adjusted for one-time items, the division’s EBITDA pre rose by 7.0% to € 731 million in 2012 (2011: € 683 million), representing 43.6% of sales (2011: 46.6%).

2012 was again a successful year for the Merck Millipore division. Sales grew by 9.0% to € 2,598 million (2011: € 2,383 million), stemming from solid organic growth of 3.8% and positive exchange rate effects of 3.9% primarily related to the U.S. dollar, and 1.4% from acquisitions in the areas of cell culture media, cell imaging and microbial testing. The division’s fourth-quarter sales rose 8.1% to € 653 million (Q4 2011: 604 million).

EBITDA pre one-time items of Merck Millipore grew 6.2% to € 596 million (2011: € 561 million) or 22.9% of sales (2011: 23.6%).

Dividend
For fiscal 2012, Merck will propose to the Annual General Meeting on April 26 that the dividend payment be increased by 20 cents to € 1.70 per share, an increase of 13%.

Outlook
Sales of the Merck Group are expected to grow organically at a moderate pace in both 2013 and 2014. Merck assumes neither any major new technology introductions in its chemical businesses nor any major new product launches in the pharmaceutical business in either year. On a reported basis, a stronger Euro may lead to negative currency effects in comparison to 2012.

At Group level, EBITDA pre one-time items (EBITDA pre) will increase faster than sales as a result of net cost savings realized from the Group-wide restructuring program “Fit for 2018”. With one-time costs peaking in 2012, this should lead to a significant increase in net income in 2013 and 2014.

Notes to Editors:

The complete interactive online version of the 2012 Annual Report, as well as the related presentations, is available at: Merck 2012-E

Click here to follow the press conference live at 10 a.m. CET. Click here for the analysts call at 2 p.m. CET, as well as the charts used for the call.

Merck KGaA stock symbols:
Reuters: MRCG, Bloomberg: MRK GY, Dow Jones: MRK.DE
Frankfurt Stock Exchange: ISIN: DE 000 659 9905 – WKN: 659 990

 

To Prevent Colon Cancer, Get Your Butt to the Doctor

Colorectal cancer — cancer of the colon or rectum — is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, according to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention.

Yet it’s one of the most treatable cancers there is, even in its later stages.

ABC News’ chief health and medical correspondent Dr. Richard Besser held a tweet chat  Monday to raise awareness on how to prevent and treat colon and rectal cancer.  His special guest was ABC talk show host Katie Couric, whose husband, Jay Monahan, died of the disease in 1998.

CDC director  Dr. Tom Frieden and chief medical and scientific officer of the American Cancer Society Dr. Otis Brawley  tweeted their thoughts, along with experts from the National Institutes of Health; the Colon Cancer Alliance; Mayo Clinic; New York University Langone Medical Center; and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Here are four things our experts say you must know about keeping your colon happy and healthy:

1. Get Screened
Most colon cancers begin as polyps, lumps growing on the lining of the colon wall that can develop into cancer. Regular screening after the age of 50 is essential for detecting and removing these polyps before they become cancerous.

“Roughly six of 10 deaths from colon cancer could be prevented if everyone age 50+ got screened routinely,” Frieden tweeted.

If your test comes back clean, you won’t need another one for 10 years. However, if your test shows abnormalities, you should be screened more often.

“Certain types of family history dictate screening at a younger age,” Brawley tweeted.

“We think it takes 10 years for a polyp to form and turn into cancer.  If we find polyps, we look every three to five  years,” tweeted Dr. John Kisiel, a gerontologist at the Mayo Clinic.

And colonoscopy isn’t the only screening test, according to Besser. You can opt for a sigmoidoscopy, which only examines the bottom of the colon, or a test for blood hidden in the stool instead.

2. Colonoscopies Aren’t That Bad
During a colonoscopy, a doctor gently inserts a long, flexible tube with a light and camera on the end into your rectum to scope out signs of cancer. The test itself is no big deal. You’re under anesthetic and won’t feel a thing.

Prep is another matter. Before the test you need to clean out your colon by drinking copious amounts of a vile-tasting liquid, then retiring to the bathroom for the better part of a day.

Some people find the ordeal daunting, but our chatters said to get over it. And if  friends or loved ones resist the idea, Couric said to tell them to do it for the people who love and depend on them.

“Also, if your partner doesn’t want to get screened, join them and suggest his and hers colonoscopies!” she tweeted.

Katie Couric Tweeted, “Get Your Butt to the Doctor!” Credit: Katie Couric.

3. Don’t Die of Embarrassment
“There may be blood in stool, a change in bowel habits, diarrhea or a change in weight,” experts from the NIH noted.

Experts from Dana Farber added, “A month or more narrowing of the stools, straining, change in stool shape are all symptoms of bowel problems.”

As many of our tweeters noted, people often ignore these symptoms or are too embarrassed to talk to the doctor about them.  Here again, our chatters said to get over it.

“Get your butt to the doctor,” Couric tweeted  — this comment was retweeted more than a dozen times.

As Besser pointed out, however, other than polyps there may be no other symptoms in the early stages of the disease. That’s why it’s so important to have regular check-ups and get screened on a schedule set by you and your doctor.

4. Know the Risks
Age is an important risk factor. Colon and rectal cancers most often strike people over the age of 50, but the disease can strike at any age. Although anyone can get colorectal cancer, it’s deadliest for minorities, because they’re less likely to get tested or seek treatment, the experts from the Colon Cancer Alliance said. If someone in your family has had colon cancer, this increases your risk too.

As several tweeters noted, Lynch syndrome — an inherited condition — puts someone at increased risk of colon cancer and other cancers. Doctors estimate that about three  out of every 100 colon cancers stem from Lynch syndrome, and the disease often occurs at an earlier age. Lynch syndrome, which is confirmed by a simple blood test,  may be a possible diagnosis when there are multiple cases of colorectal cancer on the same side of the family.

The main thing all our tweeters emphasized was that living a colon-healthy lifestyle goes a long way toward prevention of colorectal cancer. Our experts said that a diet high in red meat and low in fiber, smoking, alcohol consumption, a lack of exercise and being overweight or obese add to the risk, although being an exercising vegetarian doesn’t completely eliminate your chances of getting the disease.

 

Doctor and Patient Join Forces to Launch Decade-Long Movement to Find the Cure for Colon Cancer

The Wunder Project maps out a detailed research plan, calls on USC and international team of medical leaders to find the cure and aims to raise $250 million in two years to ensure viability of success

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ – In conjunction with March’s Colon Cancer Awareness Month, The Wunder Project, an initiative with a clear mission of finding the cure for colon cancer, launches today.

Behind the movement is Gloria Borges, a 31-year-old Stage IV colon cancer warrior, and her physician, Dr. Heinz-Josef Lenz, Associate Director for Clinical Research and chair of GI Oncology program at the University of Southern California (USC) Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, as well as Co-Director of the USC Center for Molecular Pathways and Drug Discovery. Together, the duo and their team are determined to raise $250 million in a two-year fundraising campaign for colon cancer research, with a game-changing and methodical plan of finding a viable cure within 10 years.

Dr. Heinz Josef-Lenz

“To change the fate of those stricken with colon cancer, it’s time we rethink how to approach the solution, and that’s what we’re doing here,” Borges said, of her inspiration behind the Project. “My life, and the lives of thousands of others, is literally on the line. We cannot back down until we raise every last cent, because starting with the cure to one form of cancer will have implications on cancer as a whole.”

Borges, a Stage IV colon cancer patient, was diagnosed in 2010 at the age of 28. She was given one year to live, but under the care of Lenz, Borges defied the odds and is continuing her fight today with continuous care and bi-monthly chemotherapy. A practicing lawyer at O’Melveny & Myers, LLP, Borges knows how to take on a challenge. As a “warrior,” she will lead The Wunder Project movement using her business acumen and incredible passion to build partnerships and raise resources that will directly fund the research team’s efforts.

Spearheading the research, Lenz has gathered a team of the best medical researchers, doctors, international experts and other field leaders from across the world to commit their time to the cure. Lenz has laid out a detailed methodology to tackle this issue, coupled with the corresponding funds needed to spearhead each research milestone. The plan includes creating an annotated tumor bank to analyze and understand how colon cancer affects individualized patients, study tumor mutations and molecular pathways to find effective chemotherapy treatments for tumors at multiple stages, and finally, develop smarter treatments that get to the cure.

“I have been researching colon cancer for over 20 years, and I’ve seen many patients lose the battle,” Lenz said of his time in the field. “The Wunder Project will make a difference because we know it’s scientifically possible. We have the tools, the research, the passion and a specific timeline to get to the cure.”

Known as one of the deadliest forms of cancer, colon cancer takes the lives of 50,000 Americans each year and leaves another 150,000 Americans with the toxic prognosis.

“Finding the cure for colon cancer will also help provide the blueprint for curing other types of cancer,” Borges said. “Everyday I tell myself the same thing – cancer, your time is up.”

To learn more about The Wunder Project and the detailed roadmap to the cure, or to get involved with the movement, visit TheWunderProject.org. Connect with The Wunder Project at @WunderGlo #CancerYourTimeIsUp or Facebook.com/TheWunderProject.

About The Wunder Project
The Wunder Project is a movement – a partnership between Gloria Borges, a Stage IV Colon Cancer warrior, and Dr. Heinz-Josef Lenz, a world-renowned doctor and clinical researcher, with a mission to cure colon cancer within 10 years. The movement will call upon corporate donors, grants and personal donations to raise $250 million in a two-year fundraising campaign, with all funds going directly toward research in order to achieve the ultimate goal: finding a cure to colon cancer. For more information on the The Wunder Project, visit TheWunderProject.org and connect with The Wunder Project @WunderGlo #CancerYourTimeIsUp and Facebook.com/TheWunderProject.