$15 million grant from The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation establishes the Global Research Initiative on Breast Cancer in Younger Women, a landmark multi-year effort uniting scientists worldwide to address one of the most underfunded areas of breast cancer research.

The Estée Lauder Companies today announced a new five-year commitment to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation to establish the Global Research Initiative on Breast Cancer in Younger Women. This 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.

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The $15 million commitment from The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation is designed to confront an urgent and significantly underfunded need. Diagnoses among women under age 45 increased by 11 percent from 2012 to 2022,¹ while an estimated only 0.6 percent 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 percent more likely to die from the disease.²

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.

Accelerating a New Era of Breast Cancer Research

“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. 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,” said William P. Lauder, Chair, Board of Directors, The Estée Lauder Companies, and Co-Chair, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

“For more than 30 years, The Estée Lauder Companies has been deeply committed to helping create a breast cancer-free world. That commitment is rooted in who we are: a company founded by a woman and serving millions of women around the world. It also reflects our enduring belief in the power of research, partnership, and collective action to improve and save lives. As diagnoses rise among younger women, we have a responsibility to act with urgency. We are proud to build on our longstanding partnership with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and help lead a new era of global collaboration to improve outcomes for generations of women and families,” said Stéphane de La Faverie, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Estée Lauder Companies and President, The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation.

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.

“The Breast Cancer Research Foundation has always been at the vanguard of addressing persistent challenges in the disease and is proud to have already been advancing the largest body of research in younger women. The alarming rise in incidence among this demographic warrants a global response to fund the scientists who are in a race to find answers. We are deeply grateful to our partners at The Estée Lauder Companies, whose groundbreaking donation makes this unprecedented global initiative possible and creates an opportunity to fundamentally advance our understanding of the disease and improve outcomes for younger patients,” said Donna McKay, President and CEO of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Building on More Than 30 Years of Partnership and Progress

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.

Over the past 30 years, breast cancer deaths have declined by 44 percent,³ while treatment options have expanded from a single targeted treatment in 1993 to more than 30 today, demonstrating the extraordinary progress that sustained investment in research and precision medicine can make possible.

The Global Research Initiative on Breast Cancer in Younger Women marks the next chapter of this shared legacy. By directing unprecedented global scientific attention and resources toward breast cancer in younger women, The Estée Lauder Companies and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation aim to close critical gaps in knowledge, accelerate the pace of discovery, and help create a future in which every woman—regardless of her age—has the best possible chance to prevent, detect, treat and survive breast cancer.

About The Estée Lauder Companies

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers, marketers and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products, and is a steward of luxury and prestige brands globally. The Company’s products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, M·A·C, La Mer, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN PARIS, Too Faced, Dr.Jart+, the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary, NIOD, Avestan and Loopha, and Balmain Beauty.

About The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation

The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation (ELCCF) is the global philanthropic arm of The Estée Lauder Companies, a leader in prestige beauty. Turning The Estée Lauder Companies’ and Mrs. Estée Lauder’s legacy into action, the ELCCF supports nonprofit organizations that enable women and girls to thrive and advance through the transformative power of health, education, and entrepreneurship. The Foundation invests in programs worldwide that strengthen career readiness, workforce participation, and leadership development for women and girls, and supports scientists and practitioners advancing breakthroughs in breast cancer and women’s health.

About the Breast Cancer Research Foundation

Breast cancer is a complex disease with no simple solution. Research is the key to stopping it in its tracks. Founded in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder, BCRF is the largest private funder of breast cancer research in the world. By investing in the best minds in science to examine every aspect of the disease from prevention to metastasis—and fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration—BCRF is accelerating the entire field and moves us closer to the answers we urgently need to be the end of breast cancer. Learn more and get involved at BCRF.org.

Citations:

[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025, August 15). Breast cancer among women younger than 45. U.S. Cancer Statistics.
[2] Gnerlich, J. L., Deshpande, A. D., Jeffe, D. B., Sweet, A., White, N., & Margenthaler, J. A. (2009). Elevated breast cancer mortality in women younger than age 40 years compared with older women is attributed to poorer survival in early-stage disease. Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 208(3), 341–347.
[3] Printz, C., & McDowell, S. (2024, October 2). Breast cancer incidence still rises and death rate still declines. American Cancer Society.

ELC-C

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