Estée Lauder Launches Research Initiative with Breast Cancer Research Foundation

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, the Estée Lauder Companies has forged a five-year commitment to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation to establish the Global Research Initiative on Breast Cancer in Younger Women.

The first-of-its-kind research coalition will address the alarming global rise in breast cancer diagnoses among younger women, building on more than three decades of partnership between The Estée Lauder Companies and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation was founded in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder, who co-created the iconic pink ribbon and launched The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Campaign. Since then, The Estée Lauder Companies and its Charitable Foundation have funded more than $123 million in lifesaving breast cancer research through The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, supporting more than 400 research grants.

Together, the organizations have helped build a global model for advancing scientific discovery and translating research into better care. Their partnership has also supported the largest global study of breast cancer in Black women, significantly advancing scientific understanding of the factors contributing to disparities in breast cancer outcomes.

The $15 million commitment from The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation is designed to confront an “urgent and significantly underfunded need,” according to officials. According to the company, diagnoses among women under age 45 increased by 11% from 2012 to 2022, while an estimated only 0.6% of breast cancer research funding since 2020 has focused on younger women. Breast cancer in younger women is more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage and to behave aggressively, with women diagnosed before age 40 nearly 40% more likely to die from the disease.

“The Estée Lauder Companies has a longstanding commitment to advancing breast cancer research, and I know my mother, Evelyn H. Lauder, would be so proud to see us carry her vision forward,” said William P. Lauder, chair, board of directors, The Estée Lauder Companies, and co-chair, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. “She believed deeply in the power of research to change and ultimately save lives. Through this donation, we can expand our understanding of breast cancer in younger women, an area where there is still much to learn. I am grateful to the brilliant scientific researchers whose curiosity, dedication and discoveries continue to bring us closer to our shared goal of a world free from breast cancer.”

Accelerating a New Era of Research

Through the largest coordinated global research program of its kind, scientists from around the world will work together to investigate the biological factors of early-onset breast cancer. Their research will seek to generate critical new insights and improve approaches to risk prediction, prevention, early detection and treatment.

The inaugural grant will launch the initial phase of research focused on the biology of breast cancer among younger women. It will examine the mechanisms that drive early-onset breast cancer, laying the foundation for accelerating the path from laboratory discovery to patient care.

By connecting scientists across countries, institutions, and disciplines, the initiative is designed to help break down traditional research silos, accelerate the exchange of knowledge and establish a stronger scientific foundation for progress. Insights from its initial phase will help shape subsequent areas of investigation, with the goal of translating discovery into meaningful advances for younger women facing breast cancer around the world.