Merck Healthcare Korea marked World Cancer Day, February 4, with an internal event emphasizing patient-centered care and support for cancer patients and their families. A patient-centered approach to cancer treatment is gaining traction globally, focusing on maintaining a healthy daily life during treatment.
Empathy in Action: The ‘Upside Down Challenge’
This year’s World Cancer Day campaign aims to visualize the disruption cancer causes, fostering solidarity with those affected.
- World Cancer Day, established at the 2000 World Cancer Summit in Paris, France, raises awareness and encourages prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment.
- Merck Korea Healthcare employees participated in the ‘Upside Down Challenge,’ creating reversed images to symbolize the upheaval cancer brings to daily life.
- The company supplies anticancer drugs in Korea, including Bavencio (avelumab), Tepmeco (tepotinib), and Erbitux (cetuximab).
- Merck is strengthening its internal culture to comprehensively consider the treatment experience and quality of life for patients.
This year’s campaign centers around the ‘Upside Down Challenge,’ with the theme ‘Your Story Will Change Minds.’ The challenge encourages people to visualize the daily difficulties experienced by patients and families undergoing chemotherapy by presenting images of life turned upside down. The campaign, initiated by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) in 2025, aims to spread empathy and solidarity.
On February 4, employees of Merck Korea Healthcare, particularly those in the anticancer drug division, participated in the challenge. Driven by a vision of “helping more cancer patients become cancer survivors,” the employees created photo tiles to demonstrate support for cancer patients and their families throughout their treatment journeys.
Expanding Treatment Options
Merck currently provides several anticancer drugs in Korea, including Bavencio (ingredient name: avelumab) for locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer, Tepmeco (tepotinib) for locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with confirmed MET exon 14 deletion, and Erbitux (cetuximab), a targeted treatment for RAS normal metastatic colorectal cancer.
Beyond providing innovative treatments, Merck is actively working to cultivate an internal work culture and support system that prioritizes the entire patient experience and quality of life. This includes initiatives like Patient 360°, an integrated approach considering the complete patient journey, and Bold Directions, a strategic framework guiding clinical priorities and treatment development. The company is also focused on creating a supportive work environment for employees undergoing cancer treatment and providing resources to alleviate the burden on families.
“This event was a meaningful time for Merck Korea employees to once again reflect on our goal of ‘one heart for patients,’” said Lee Soo-kyung, managing director of Merck Korea Healthcare’s Oncology Division. “Merck Korea Healthcare will continue to strive to improve the treatment outcomes and quality of life of domestic cancer patients, while also doing its best to ensure that cancer patients and their families can enjoy a normal daily life.”
