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To celebrate International Women’s Day, Organon Australia invited Alecia Wood – Vice Chair of the Board of Directors and  Welfare Manager Linda Beuzeville, from their  newest partner Sister2sister, to speak about the No Limits 4 Girls (NL4G) Program, which is a series of school-based workshops supporting young girls’ to develop the skills they require to navigate through challenging situations.

International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrates the economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity across a range of economic, education and social measures.

Organon – a company dedicated to the health of women, has joined with Sister2sister to launch the No Limits 4 Girls program, and invited Vice Chair Alecia Wood, and Welfare Manager Linda Beuzeville to speak about the importance of supporting girls as they develop their sense of place in society.

According to Ms Wood, recent studies indicate that from age 12, girls’ self-esteem and confidence begins to drop significantly, and continues to decline continues throughout their teenage years, and they become more susceptible to increased social and cultural pressures. This decline is compounded for girls who are living with disadvantage, trauma, abuse or neglect.

“The first year of high school is a significant transition period for many young people. For vulnerable girls, this transition can be very challenging with negative consequences in and out of the classroom. Supporting young girls at this stage has the potential to increase their resilience, emotional intelligence and the ability to recognise and manage stress.”

With Organon’s support, Sister2sister was able to re-launch the No Limits 4 Girls Program, which had been cancelled as a result of the pandemic.  2023 is its first year of programming, and NL4G Program will operate in five schools across NSW and Queensland. 

“The need is real and the impact on the students is noticeable”, said Linda Beuzeville.  “We are already receiving requests for the program to be extended and delivered in other schools.”

Organon’s support of Sister2sister announced in November 2022, is a demonstration of its purpose to support women and girls achieve their full potential by addressing gender-related disparities in health and education, and building a more sustainable future for women, families, economies and society.

“At Organon, we want to help women and girls achieve their promise by leading healthier, more empowered lives. We are working toward this purpose using multiple approaches, including innovating in women’s health, expanding access to needed medicines and other products, and advancing equity inside and outside the company,” said Nirelle Tolstoshev, Managing Director, Organon ANZ.

“Our partnership with Sister2sister in supporting No Limits 4 Girls Program aligns to our commitment to supporting healthy lifestyles and raising women’s voices through education and opportunity for participation.”

“With Organon’s support, we will have an impact on the lives of 100-150 teenage girls, giving them an opportunity to see themselves as worthwhile, strong, confident and hopeful.  We know that this program works.  Feedback from schools is that they are often surprised at the level of engagement the girls have, and the safety and trust that develops over the four sessions helps to de-escalate trauma behaviour and strengthen engagement, resilience and well-being. The schools we have delivered No Limits to have also noticed improvements in the girls’ relationships with each other and positive changes in their behaviour”, Beuzeville concluded. 

ABOUT

Along with the NLFG program, the Sister2sister foundation supports vulnerable teenage girls, termed ‘Little Sisters’ by pairing them with Big Sisters in a mentoring program across 8 months. The Sister2sister mentoring program is unique in Australia providing guidance, education, mentoring to vulnerable teenage girls, by equipping them with crucial survival and life skills, the resilience to overcome challenges, and an environment fostering self-worth, the Sister2sister mentoring program empowers them to make positive choices for a better future.

Organon

Organon (NYSE: OGN) is a global healthcare company formed through a spin-off from Merck& Co., Kenilworth, NJ, USA (NYSE: MRK) known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, focused on improving the health of women throughout their lives. Here for her health, the company has a portfolio of more than 60 medicines and products across a range of therapeutic areas. Led by the reproductive health portfolio coupled with an expanding biosimilars business and stable franchise of established medicines, Organon’s products produce strong cash flows that will support investments in future growth opportunities in women’s health. In addition, Organon is pursuing opportunities to collaborate with biopharmaceutical innovators looking to commercialize their products by leveraging its scale and presence in fast growing international markets.

Organon has a global footprint with significant scale and geographic reach, world-class commercial capabilities, and approximately 9,000 employees with headquarters located in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA.

To learn more about Organon, please visit http://www.organon.com/australia and connect with us on LinkedIn.  

New Flexible Work and Lifestyle Benefits to give employees’ greater support for themselves and their families.

Women’s healthcare company, Organon, has lifted the bar on workplace wellbeing and inclusion with the introduction of comprehensive and integrated Flexible Work and Lifestyle Policies in Australia. The policies are set to lead the way in creating a supported, flexible, and inclusive workplace for all employees, no matter what stage of life, gender or family situation.

Employees in Australia will now be offered ten (10) additional leave days per calendar year, to be tailored to suit individual needs. This leave has limitless options, and for example, can be used to extend personal leave, to care for a loved one, to support employees and their families during a life stage, or for self-care. The ten days leave is in addition to all existing benefits, and ad-hoc leave days provided by the company, such as company-wide wellbeing day gifted to all employees for International Women’s Day on March 8.

Organon is also introducing a new Fertility Reimbursement Policy, which will support employees to be reimbursed up to $3000 per year for Fertility and Assisted Reproductive treatments and procedures. This applies to the employee, or the employee’s spouse or partner, and is backdated to April 2022 to accommodate employees who may have already commenced this treatment.

Organon has also extended its Compassionate Leave Benefits to two (2) calendar weeks to support employees during the loss of someone in their immediate family, and introduced a new Pregnancy Loss Leave of up to six (6) weeks, to support any pregnant employee who experiences a miscarriage.

Nirelle Tolstoshev, Organon Australia Managing Director, said the company wanted to demonstrate their leadership and commitment to a People First culture by building on Organon’s already progressive benefits package, to create an even more flexible and balanced working environment for every employee.

“Our new Flexible Work and Lifestyle Benefits are founded on concepts of belonging, respect, and wellbeing. These new policies recognise that there is no one size fits all, and actively supporting the diverse needs of our people is our way of ensuring that we are living up to Organon’s value of ‘we all belong’. In designing this full package of policies, we challenged ourselves to be innovative and courageous to create work practices that allow every colleague to feel safe, respected and connected to our People First culture,” said Ms Tolstoshev.

To design the new Flexible Work and Lifestyle Policies, Organon Australia drew on the results of two global employee surveys of Organon employees conducted in 2022.

Sophie Althans, HR Director at Organon Australia said the survey results provided valuable insights – with themes around additional paid leave for personal priorities and work/life balance with increases in metrics regarding respect, inclusion and wellbeing at work. One consistent theme was that the existing benefits seemed to be more focused on parents, and in some cases weren’t as inclusive of the diversity of their people. Organon looked at how the company could broaden the scope of the benefits, to support employees no matter what stage of life they are at.

“As a leading company dedicated to the health of women as the foundation of a strong and healthy society, diversity is in our DNA. That’s why we want to be able to support our people when they need it the most, and these new policies reflect that promise. I’m proud of our unique and encompassing Flexible Work and Lifestyle Benefits, which helps us create a great place to work, with equal opportunity for all our people to grow, develop and succeed. It reflects our commitment at Organon to creating an inclusive environment, where everyone feels valued and respected,” said Althans.

Case Study:

Christina David (Senior Specialist, Drug Safety) – Additional Leave

“My brother is marrying in India this year, and it’s an important time for him and my family to come together. I had already booked all my available leave to attend the wedding with my family in India.  When this opportunity for an extra 10 days’ leave was provided, it meant that I was able to also book a cruise with my son to celebrate his significant birthday.

“Organon’s new leave enhancement policy has made it possible for me to balance my career with my whole family and strengthening my connection with my family in India, bringing them a little closer to home.”

You can access further information about Organon Australia at  https://www.organon.com/australia/ and connect with us on LinkedIn.

About Organon

Organon is a global healthcare company with a focus on improving the health of women throughout their lives. Organon has a portfolio of more than 60 medicines and products across a range of therapeutic areas. Led by the women’s health portfolio coupled with an expanding biosimilars business and stable franchise of established medicines, Organon’s products produce strong cash flows that will support investments in innovation and future growth opportunities in women’s health. In addition, Organon is pursuing opportunities to collaborate with biopharmaceutical innovators looking to commercialise their products by leveraging its scale and presence in fast growing international markets.

Organon has a global footprint with significant scale and geographic reach, world-class commercial capabilities, and approximately 9,300 employees with headquarters located in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Copyright © (2023) Organon group of companies.  All rights reserved.

Organon Pharma Pty Ltd. Building A, Level 3, 26 Talavera Rd, Macquarie Park, NSW 2113. First issued February 2023.

Organon expands its commitment to advancing women’s health, gender equity and tackling climate change through partnership with local organisations.

Organon (NYSE: OGN) – a global company focused on the health and wellbeing of women, has signed partnership agreements with National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) and Sister2sister in Australia. These partnerships strengthen Organon’s purpose to support women and girls achieve their full potential by addressing gender-related disparities in wellbeing and STEM related education, and building a more sustainable future for women, families, economies and society.

“At Organon, we want to help women and girls achieve their promise by leading healthier, more empowered lives. We are working toward this purpose using multiple approaches, including innovating in women’s health, expanding access to needed medicines and other products, and advancing equity inside and outside the company,” said Nirelle Tolstoshev, Managing Director, Organon ANZ.

“Organon recently launched its first Environment, Sustainability and Governance (ESG) Report, and our partnerships with both National Youth Science Forum (supporting the Year 12 STEM Program) and Sister2sister (supporting No Limits 4Girls Program), align to our commitment to be of service to communities to support healthy lifestyles, advance the health of women, and advance equity across a number of metrics, including education and opportunity for participation.

“Our commitment goes beyond a financial contribution.  Organon’s employee volunteer policy encourages our employees to dedicate 40 regularly scheduled work hours per calendar year toward volunteer activities.

“We believe that cultivating an environment of service to the communities in which we live and work serves our employees by enriching the quality of their lives and by providing opportunities for service experiences; builds trust with our partners and enhances our employee skills, talents and experiences.”

“We look forward to the contribution Organon will bring to our programs so we can continue to provide immersive and life-changing experiences, ensuring we connect young people with the broadest possible range of STEM careers and how to get there,” said Dr Melanie Bagg, CEO, NYSF.

“Often school students have limited awareness of what careers they can enter to help others and make a tangible difference in their communities. Real-life industry insight from organisations like Organon helps our students meet real STEM professionals and explore a broad range of jobs in healthcare, pharmaceutical and the medical sector.”

“We are proud to be in partnership with Organon to deliver our No Limits 4 Girls Program (NL4G). We want young girls to feel empowered, respected, confident and equipped to make the most of opportunities that they have ahead of them. Furthermore, giving students the ability to listen to each other’s’ experiences will allow them to feel safe and connect on a deeper level. Sister2sister has had a lasting impact on many lives, and we hope NL4G has the same effect throughout these young girls’ schooling life,” commented Marnee May, CEO of Sister2sister Foundation.

“We are incredibly proud to partner with both National Youth Science Forum and Sister2sister to support the work they do in improving the health and equity for women and girls,” Tolstoshev concluded.

ABOUT

National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) is a not-for-profit charity that delivers youth-led immersive programs to encourage young people in their passion for STEM. Their goal is to advance Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) education and training in the Australian community with a strong focus on equity and diversity. In particular, NYSF is a sector leader in increasing the participation of young women and those from regional and remote areas of Australia in science and technology study and careers.

SISTER2sister helps at-risk teenage girls, termed ‘Little Sisters’ by pairing them with Big Sisters in a mentoring program across 12 months. The SISTER2sister program is unique in Australia providing guidance, education, mentoring to at-risk teenage girls, by equipping them with crucial survival and life skills, the resilience to overcome challenges, and an environment fostering self-worth, the SISTER2sister mentoring program empowers them to make positive choices for a better future.

Organon will support the establishment of the new No Limit 4 Girls (NL4G) Program which will be run through high schools and complement the one-on-one mentoring relationships with a broader focus on supporting year 7 girls, as they are particularly susceptible to increased social pressure on entering high school, as well as broader cultural pressures as they enter adulthood. NL4G aim to increase girls’ resilience, emotional intelligence and stress management skills, creating a strong foundation for personal growth.

Organon

Organon (NYSE: OGN) is a global healthcare company formed through a spin-off from Merck& Co., Kenilworth, NJ, USA (NYSE: MRK) known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, focused on improving the health of women throughout their lives. Here for her health, the company has a portfolio of more than 60 medicines and products across a range of therapeutic areas. Led by the reproductive health portfolio coupled with an expanding biosimilars business and stable franchise of established medicines, Organon’s products produce strong cash flows that will support investments in future growth opportunities in women’s health. In addition, Organon is pursuing opportunities to collaborate with biopharmaceutical innovators looking to commercialize their products by leveraging its scale and presence in fast growing international markets.

Organon has a global footprint with significant scale and geographic reach, world-class commercial capabilities, and approximately 9,000 employees with headquarters located in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA.

To learn more about Organon, please visit http://www.organon.com/australia and connect with us on LinkedIn.  

For more information:

MESHLIN KHOURI

meshlin.khouri@organon.com

+61 447 279 553

Findings show almost half (40%) of all pregnancies in Australia are unintended, highlighting the need to address this public health challenge.¹

AUSTRALIA, 28 September 2022 – New findings from ‘The Impact of Unintended Pregnancy’ report launched today by women’s healthcare company, Organon, reveal the broad social and economic impacts of unintended pregnancy in Australia.¹ An astounding $7.2 billion of direct and indirect costs were  incurred in 2020 as a consequence of unintended pregnancies, putting significant financial pressure on individuals, their families, communities and our economy.¹

The report shows women living in rural areas are 1.4 times more likely to experience an unintended pregnancy than women living in a metro setting.¹ This is primarily attributed to geographic isolation and lack of access to contraception and abortion services.¹ Prevalence of unintended pregnancy is also disproportionately higher amongst First Nations women, and those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged.¹

The report also reveals, that 40% of all pregnancies in Australia are unintended, with 197,234 occurrences recorded in 2020 alone.¹ An unintended pregnancy is categorised as either mistimed (pregnancy occurs earlier or later than desired) or unwanted (pregnancy occurs when no or no more children are desired).¹ It can result in the raising of the child (52%), termination (31%) or adoption (1%).¹

Professor Danielle Mazza, Director of SPHERE, Centre of Research Excellence in Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health in Primary Care, said: “Unintended pregnancy can happen at any stage of life. It is often misunderstood and stigmatised, and certainly not discussed openly. Most people think unintended pregnancy only impacts the woman or couple alone. However, it is a critical public health challenge that has a huge impact on society and imposes significant financial and social costs. We need to address unintended pregnancy by ensuring women have access to the right information to make informed decisions about contraception and pregnancy.”

In Australia, the average cost of an unintended pregnancy is $36,384 (each time).¹ This totals $7.2 billion in 2020, a cost carried by Government (37%), women (56%), carers (5%) and employers (3%).¹ Within the report, direct costs include expenses incurred due to miscarriages ($15 million), stillbirths ($21 million), abortions ($72 million), and live births ($2.0 billion) up to 12 months post-pregnancy.¹ Indirect costs include non-healthcare related expenses such as lost wages and income and government parenting support payments.¹

Earlier research has found that 73% of women who experience an unplanned pregnancy were using contraception, with the oral contraceptive pill the most frequently cited (39%).² This highlights the importance of assessing the suitability of contraceptive methods to a person’s own needs.³

Further, although international evidence demonstrates that effective contraception, such as long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), can reduce the rates of unintended pregnancy, awareness of LARC options in Australia remains low in comparison to other countries.^4,5,6 To address this barrier, women need to be supported to make informed decisions about contraception priorities, preferences which work for their lifestyle, and the need for a national sexual and reproductive health strategy.¹

Nirelle Tolstoshev, Managing Director of Organon ANZ, said: “At Organon, we are united in our drive to better support the health of women. Through the launch of this report, we aim to progress discussions around unintended pregnancy in Australia. We know more needs to be done to address better health understanding and education in reproductive health and contraception to support women’s empowerment and reduce the impact of unintended pregnancy.”

For further information about the report, visit: https://www.organon.com/australia/reports/

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Media Contacts

Meshlin Khouri Organon Meshlin.khouri@organon.com 0447 279 553

Claire Davies WE Communications cdavies@we-worldwide.com 0402 188 054

Issued by WE Communications on behalf of Organon Australia Ltd.

Notes to Editors

About ‘The Impact of Unintended Pregnancy’ Report

To develop this report, key opinion leaders and experts in the space of reproductive health and choices were involved to inform the selection of the most appropriate data sources and the chosen methodological approach.

This report was commissioned and paid for by Organon, a healthcare company and prepared by HTANALYSTS. Organon provided input in relation to the report and its outcomes. The information for this report was sourced from published literature using publicly available data. Where information has been obtained from third-party sources, this is referenced. All costs are reported in Australian dollars.

About Organon

Organon (NYSE: OGN) is a global healthcare company formed through a spin-off from Merck& Co., Rahway, NJ, USA (NYSE: MRK) known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, focused on improving the health of women throughout their lives. Here for her health, the company has a portfolio of more than 60 medicines and products across a range of therapeutic areas. Led by the reproductive health portfolio coupled with an expanding biosimilars business and stable franchise of established medicines, Organon’s products produce strong cash flows that will support investments in future growth opportunities in women’s health. In addition, Organon is pursuing opportunities to collaborate with biopharmaceutical innovators looking to commercialize their products by leveraging its scale and presence in fast growing international markets.

Organon has a global footprint with significant scale and geographic reach, world-class commercial capabilities, and approximately 9,000 employees with headquarters located in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA.

For more information, visit http://www.organon.com/australia and connect with us on LinkedIn. 

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References

[1] Organon and HTAnalysts. Impact of Unintended Pregnancy. 2022. Available at: https://www.organon.com/australia/reports/. Accessed August 2022.

[2] Coombe, J. et al. Contraceptive use at the time of unintended pregnancy: Findings from the Contraceptive Use, Pregnancy Intention and Decisions study. Australian Family Physician; 2016; 45(11):842-48. 

[3] Taft A, Shankar M, Black K, Maza D, Hussainy S, Lucke J. Unintended and unwanted pregnancy in Australia: a cross-sectional, national random telephone survey of prevalence and outcomes. MJA. 2018;209(9):407-8.

[4] Winner et al. Effectiveness of Long-Acting Reversible Contraception. N Engl J Med 2012; 366:1998-2007. Available at: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1110855#:~:text=Long%2Dacting%20reversible%20contraceptive%20methods%2C%20including%20intrauterine%20devices%20(IUDs,which%20rival%20those%20with%20sterilization.

[5] Mazza D, Bateson D, Frearson M, Goldstone P, Kovacs G, Baber R. Current barriers and potential strategies to increase the use of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) to reduce the rate of unintended pregnancies in Australia: An expert roundtable discussion. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2017;57(2):206-12.

[6]Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association. Consensus statement. 2017. [cited Available from: https://www.shinesa.org.au/media/2018/03/Consensus_statement_Reducing-Unintended-Pregnancy.pdf.

Findings show that Australia’s policy framework is falling behind most countries in supporting biosimilar uptake, which has shown to support the health budget, healthcare providers and patient choice.

CANBERRA, 7 September 2022 – Organon, a global women’s healthcare company, announced the release of the ‘Biosimilars: A global roadmap for policy sustainability’ at Parliament House today.[i]  The report highlights the need for urgent policy reform that provides multi-stakeholder benefits that should be realised in the long term for a sustainable biosimilar environment.¹ The report presents key policy recommendations that can support the long-term national adoption of biosimilars to provide access for patients, bolster supply, reduce expenses for the healthcare system and PBS reimbursements.¹

The international biosimilar pipeline continues to evolve as biologics in new therapeutic areas near patent expiry.¹ Biosimilars have been shown not to have any clinical meaningful differences from the originator medicine in terms of quality, safety and efficacy.¹ While countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and France allow automatic reimbursement following regulatory approval, biosimilars must still undergo a lengthy Health Technology Assessment (HTA) process to receive reimbursement in Australia.¹

George Tambassis, Co-Author and Chair of the Australian Biologics Academy says, “A sustainable biologics market is one where all stakeholders, including patients, have reliable and consistent access to biological therapies. However, this is highly dependent on the nature of the policy framework to support the uptake of biosimilars. Ultimately, Australia should aim for competition within the biosimilar market and incentives for patients, to ensure a sustainably functioning environment that allows the best value for innovation without compromising quality.”

This report highlights numerous priorities to achieve long-term sustainability of biosimilars in Australia, including:¹

• Ensure alignment of financial incentives that benefit all key stakeholders, including physicians, pharmacists and patients
• Decrease patient co-payments applied for biosimilars to enable cost savings not only for payers but for a broader range of stakeholders including patients
• Increase multi-disciplinary decision-making regarding dispensing of biosimilars to ensure the best outcomes for the patients and best value for the healthcare system.
• Optimise existing pricing and reimbursement policy to mitigate the impact of erosion driven by mandatory discounts and considers the differences across therapeutic areas, the number of competitors and population size.

Ms Marnie Peterson, CEO at Generic Biosimilar Medicines Association (GBMA) says the peak body for affordable medicines and its members have been working with Government to drive awareness and confidence among patients and their healthcare professionals. The GBMA is further looking forward to co-designing policies aimed at driving the uptake of biosimilars.

“We know biosimilars can, and will, unlock significant savings for our overwhelmed health budget,” Ms Peterson said. “And we can go further with policies that provide even greater relief at the hip pocket for Australians already struggling with the rising cost of living. It is a win-win for taxpayers and patients.”

Luke Cornish, Director Access & External Affairs at Organon says, “With the right policy settings, biosimilars have the potential to reduce healthcare costs and contribute to a sustainable PBS. Savings can be used to broaden access to patients who currently miss out and to reinvest into new medicines. This report outlines the simple steps the Government can take to make sure Australia benefits from the full potential of biosimilar medicines.”

For further information about the report, visit: https://www.organon.com/australia/reports/

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Media Contacts:

Meshlin Khouri Organon Meshlin.khouri@organon.com 0446 276 553

Melissa Quinon WE Communications mquinon@we-worldwide.com 0410 500 014

About Organon

Organon (NYSE: OGN) is a global healthcare company formed through a spin-off from Merck & Co., Rahway, NJ, USA (NYSE: MRK) known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, focused on improving the health of women throughout their lives. Here for her health, the company has a portfolio of more than 60 medicines and products across a range of therapeutic areas. Led by the reproductive health portfolio coupled with an expanding biosimilars business and stable franchise of established medicines, Organon’s products produce strong cash flows that will support investments in future growth opportunities in women’s health. In addition, Organon is pursuing opportunities to collaborate with biopharmaceutical innovators looking to commercialize their products by leveraging its scale and presence in fast growing international markets.

Organon has a global footprint with significant scale and geographic reach, world-class commercial capabilities, and approximately 9,000 employees with headquarters located in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA.

References:

[1] Wilsdon T, Pistollato M, Ross-Stewart Kirsty, Saada R, Barquin P. Biosimilars: A global roadmap for policy sustainability 2022. Charles River Associates.

Copyright © 2022 Organon Group of Companies. All rights reserved. Organon and the organon Logo are trademarks of the Organon Group of companies. Organon Pharma Pty Ltd (Organon). Building A Level 3, 26 Talavera Road, Macquarie Park NSW 2113.

AU-NON-110118. First Issued September 2022.

Report lays out blueprint for achieving Organon’s purpose and business imperatives to help women and girls achieve their promise through better health

• Launch of Her Promise ESG platform creates a framework by which the company will advance innovation and progress in women’s health and contribute to UN Sustainable Development Goals  
• Organon Her Promise Access Initiative aims to provide 100 million girls and women in low -and –middle –income countries with affordable access to contraceptive options by 2030¹.
• Grant to global NGO Women Deliver for their Young Leaders program and other advocacy work including support for young people around the world to advocate for and advance women’s health and gender equality

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Organon (NYSE: OGN), a global women’s healthcare company, which employs 88 people in Australia, today announced the publication of its inaugural Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report (attached) for 2021. The global report introduces the company’s ESG platform, known as Her Promise, and details how the company is working to help women and girls achieve the full potential of their promise through better health. The publication of the ESG Report and launch of Her Promise coincides with Organon’s one year anniversary and reflects the company’s vision to create a better and healthier every day for every woman around the world.

As the only global women’s healthcare company of its kind, Organon is well positioned to help address several current and growing women’s health challenges. For example, worldwide modelling estimates that nearly half of all pregnancies worldwide – about 121 million in total – are unintended². Through Her Promise, Organon is making focused investments and forming strategic partnerships with the goal of introducing and expanding access to health solutions that improve women’s health and advance gender equity, inside and outside the company.

In Australia, unintended pregnancy is also a common occurrence, with one in four women reporting they have had an unintended pregnancy in the past 10 years³. The rates are even higher in rural and remote locations, with women in rural areas 1.4 times more likely to experience an unintended pregnancy⁴.  For younger people aged 18-32 years, the rate is higher, with 40.8 per cent reporting an unintended first pregnancy⁴.

“In just one year, Organon has made considerable progress in addressing gender-related disparities in health by listening to women and investing in areas where high unmet needs exist. Since our launch, we have focused on treatment gaps that need to be addressed, like unintended pregnancy, fertility, post-partum hemorrhage, pre-term labor, endometriosis and bacterial vaginosis, and will continue to strive to deliver innovation, improve access and expand choice for treatments areas that uniquely or disproportionately affect women,” says Kevin Ali, Organon’s Chief Executive Officer. “The goals stated in our first ESG Report create a roadmap for the future of how we will continue to propel forward and partner to transform the current women’s health environment.”

“Here in Australia, we are proud of the impact we are already having empowering Australians to decide if, when and how they have children through our contraceptive and fertility business units,” Organon Australia Managing Director Nirelle Tolstoshev said. “Our commitment to making a positive social impact extends beyond our portfolio, and we are in the final stages of determining our local not-for-profit partnerships, with a focus on advancing her health and gender equity, and tackling climate change. We are also using our voice to amplify calls for Reconciliation and recently marked National Sorry Day by signing the Uluru Statement from the Heart.”

On its one-year anniversary, Organon is making the following goals to achieve Her Promise:

• To improve access to low-cost contraceptives in 69 of the world’s least developed countries. Through the Organon Her Promise Access Initiative, Organon is working with global organisations to provide family planning information, education and access to low-cost contraceptive options. Organon’s goal is to provide 100 million girls and women in low -and –middle –income countries with affordable access to contraceptive options by 2030¹.

• To redefine and harness innovation in women’s health. Organon will dedicate a majority of its pre-clinical and clinical development activity toward the unmet health needs of women. Organon has already begun with development activities in high unmet need areas including postpartum hemorrhage, endometriosis, and pre-term labor.

• Expand access to treatment options that improve her health and help secure her promise. Working together with global partners, Organon plans to expand access to treatment options for post-partum hemorrhage in women, in both developed and developing markets. We will also seek to help address affordability of fertility treatments and access to education to decrease the unmet medical need in fertility.

• Achieve balanced gender representation through all levels of Organon globally by 2030 and pay equity. Organon has had a strong start by launching with a Board of Directors that consists of accomplished individuals with exceptional skills and expertise, and also represents gender and racial diversity. Currently, Organon’s Board is the most diverse healthcare board on the S&P 500.

Organon in Australia has already achieved gender equity at all levels of the business, and also completed and actioned a pay equity review within the first six months of operation.

• Aim to support the transition to a low carbon economy, with an ambition to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions. We also aim to integrate water stewardship and circular economy principles into our business models. The report details concrete short- and mid-terms actions we will take to meet these long-term ambitions.

• Uphold the highest levels of ethics and integrity throughout its business.

As part of its commitment to advancing gender equity through Her Promise, Organon in Australia is forming collaborative partnerships with not-for-profit organisations to make a positive impact by advancing women’s health, gender equity and tackling climate change.

“The Board is committed to achieving both Organon’s business goals as well as contributing to societal goals, and to continuing to drive the company’s ESG strategy,” says Carrie Cox, Board Chairman. “We are pleased to be in a position to publish a comprehensive ESG report just one year after the company’s establishment and highlight our purpose and goals in improving the health of women and girls.

For more details on Organon’s ESG strategy, priorities, and initiatives, please see the full 2021 ESG Report attached. 

You can access further information about Organon Australia at https://www.organon.com/australia/ and connect with us on LinkedIn.

About Organon

Organon is a global healthcare company with a focus on improving the health of women throughout their lives. Organon has a portfolio of more than 60 medicines and products across a range of therapeutic areas. Led by the women’s health portfolio coupled with an expanding biosimilars business and stable franchise of established medicines, Organon’s products produce strong cash flows that will support investments in innovation and future growth opportunities in women’s health. In addition, Organon is pursuing opportunities to collaborate with biopharmaceutical innovators looking to commercialise their products by leveraging its scale and presence in fast growing international markets.

Organon has a global footprint with significant scale and geographic reach, world-class commercial capabilities, and approximately 9,300 employees with headquarters located in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Copyright © (2022) Organon group of companies.  All rights reserved.

Organon Pharma Pty Ltd. Building A, Level 3, 26 Talavera Rd, Macquarie Park, NSW 2113. AU-NON-110096. First issued June 2022.

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1. Data on file: Organon FY2021 ESG Report. Published June 2022. Page 14
2. Bearak J, Painchalk A, Ganatra B, et al. Unintended pregnancy and abortion by income, region, and the legal status of abortion: estimates from a comprehensive model for 1990–2019. Lancet Glob Health. 2020;8(9):e1152-e1161. doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30315-6)
3. Taft et al (2018). Unintended and unwanted pregnancy in Australia: a cross-sectional, national random telephone survey of prevalence and outcomes. Med J Aust, 209 (9): 407-408
4. Rowe et al. (2015). Prevalence and distribution of unintended pregnancy: the Understanding Fertility Management in Australia National Survey. ANZJPH, 40(2):104-9.

Organon (NYSE: OGN) – a company focused on the health and wellbeing of women has marked National Sorry Day by adding its signature to support the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which calls for the establishment of a First Nations Voice in the Constitution and a Makarrata Commission on agreement-making and truth-telling between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and governments.

Nirelle Tolstoshev, managing director of Organon in Australia said, “We launched Organon globally with a promise to listen to and act on women’s experiences to address the challenges in women’s health. The Uluru Statement from the Heart also calls for First Nations People’s voices to be heard, and we believe that action is needed to address the inequities which continue to be experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples.

“The Uluru Statement represents an invitation for all Australians to come together in a national dialogue that will help to positively shape our national identity, and by signing the Uluru Statement from the Heart, we are clearly signalling that First Nations voices matter and should be heard.

Organon was established and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2021. “One of the early conversations we had with our Founders in Australia was about reconciliation with First Nations people and developing a Reconciliation Action Plan, which we are currently working towards. In the meantime, we wanted to show our commitment by signing the Statement from the Heart on this important day.

“We encourage other pharmaceutical and healthcare companies across the country to join us in this important conversation,” Tolstoshev concluded.

To learn more about Organon, please visit http://www.organon.com/australia and connect with us on LinkedIn.

About Organon
Organon (NYSE: OGN) is a global healthcare company formed through a spin-off from Merck& Co., Kenilworth, NJ, USA (NYSE: MRK) known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, focused on improving the health of women throughout their lives. Here for her health, the company has a portfolio of more than 60 medicines and products across a range of therapeutic areas. Led by the reproductive health portfolio coupled with an expanding biosimilars business and stable franchise of established medicines, Organon’s products produce strong cash flows that will support investments in future growth opportunities in women’s health. In addition, Organon is pursuing opportunities to collaborate with biopharmaceutical innovators looking to commercialize their products by leveraging its scale and presence in fast growing international markets.
Organon has a global footprint with significant scale and geographic reach, world-class commercial capabilities, and approximately 9,000 employees with headquarters located in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA.

Organon launches Circle In as a new benefit for managers and employees, continuing its commitment to a ‘people first’ culture.

Organon ANZ is the first pharmaceutical company to partner with Circle In – a digital platform that helps employees and their managers support, grow and connect with caregivers in the workplace, by providing discreet support, expert advice and facilitates meaningful connections with teams and individual employees, accessible at the time when it is needed.

The on-demand content is already proving to be a useful resource for Organon’s employees and managers.  Launched just one month ago in February 2022, 35% of Organon employees have already registered on the platform and spent time interacting with the videos and articles. The most popular areas for investigation include navigating career; menopause; single parent happiness; and support for neurodiverse children.

“At Organon, we have created a People First culture, where every employee can bring their best self to work. We do this by supporting each founder – as a team member, as a parent and caregiver, and as managers of parents and caregivers, said Sophie Althans, HR Director Organon ANZ.

“It is important that we continue to evolve our employee experience, and providing resources that are relevant at each stage in our employees’ life journey at the right time is an important part of respecting and supporting the diversity of each of our founders. We hope the addition of these discreet and accessible resources to Organon’s comprehensive suite of Employee Benefits encourages honest conversations, provides thoughtful support and expert advice to help our managers and employees to maintain meaningful connections.”

About Organon

Organon (NYSE: OGN) is a global healthcare company formed through a spin-off from Merck& Co., Kenilworth, NJ, USA (NYSE: MRK) known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, focused on improving the health of women throughout their lives. Here for her health, the company has a portfolio of more than 60 medicines and products across a range of therapeutic areas. Led by the reproductive health portfolio coupled with an expanding biosimilars business and stable franchise of established medicines, Organon’s products produce strong cash flows that will support investments in future growth opportunities in women’s health. In addition, Organon is pursuing opportunities to collaborate with biopharmaceutical innovators looking to commercialize their products by leveraging its scale and presence in fast growing international markets.

Organon has a global footprint with significant scale and geographic reach, world-class commercial capabilities, and approximately 9,000 employees with headquarters located in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA.

For more information, visit http://www.organon.com/australia and connect with us on LinkedIn.  

For more information:

MESHLIN KHOURI

meshlin.khouri@organon.com

+61 447 279 553

Forward-Looking Statement of Organon

Except for historical information herein, this news release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements about management’s expectations about Organon’s future financial performance and prospects. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “will” or words of similar meaning. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and emergence of variant strains; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances; new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company’s ability to accurately predict its future financial results and performance; the company’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including its registration statement on Form 10, available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).

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International Women’s Day has, since its inception, called upon governments, businesses, and the wider community to reflect on issues of gender parity and inequality. A day to consider and accelerate efforts towards gender equity.

And while much has been spoken about these inequalities from economic, social, health, and physical security, far less action has been taken to address these issues in a meaningful way.

Too often businesses shrug off these issues as a matter for government. And whilst it’s true that government certainly plays a role in paving a way for a more equitable tomorrow for women – it’s also the case that businesses can do more than host breakfasts and put on morning teas.

We need to action what we speak about at these luncheons and conferences. Walk the talk, so to speak.

There is ample evidence both internationally and locally that the current COVID-19 pandemic is unraveling women’s hard-fought for gains in workplaces. Many women are now significantly more burned out than ever, even more than men which can take a huge toll on their physical and mental health^1.

McKinsey recently predicted in their 2020 Women in the Workplace study² that the global pandemic could set women back half a decade as they consider leaving the workforce for good. Organisations losing female leaders’ risk unwriting the years of progress towards gender equality.

______________________________

¹ McKinsey & Company: Women in the Workplace 2021. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace. Page 5. Accessed: 02 February 2022

² McKinsey & Company: Women in the Workplace 2021. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace. Page 5. Accessed: 02 February 2022

The Jean Hailes’ Women’s Health Survey 2020 Snapshot³ reports that 31.7% of women aged 25 – 44 did not have enough time to attend health check appointments, and one in four could not get an appointment when they needed one.

A recent online survey of 10,000 Australian women conducted between February and April 2021 by Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety⁴, found that COVID has had an impact on women’s personal and professional lives, as well as that of her family.

One in three women (31 per cent) in the survey had been laid off, lost their job or had to take a pay cut or reduce hours, in the first 12 months of the pandemic. As a result, women reported being unable to pay bills on time, needing to pawn or sell something, going without needed medical or dental treatment, and skipping meals⁵.

I am proud to lead Organon in Australia, we are a global health care company that is united in our drive to better support the health of women, both within our company and around the globe.  We invest in medicines and innovations that support the distinct healthcare needs of women across her healthcare lifecycle.

We know that when women are healthier the whole community benefits and that a woman’s health is impacted not just by her physical wellbeing but by her education; culture; career; economic and physical security, and mental wellbeing.

This International Women’s Day, we have moved away from reflection to tangible action in addressing the health inequities exacerbated by COVID-19. We have given every employee around the globe a paid day off on International Women’s Day to allow them to attend to their own health needs, or the needs of women they care for.

We believe that by empowering women to put their health needs at the top of the priority list is part of the change we need to drive to increase gender equity in all aspects of their lives.  Especially as the pandemic continues to limit women’s ability to take care of themselves, we are proud to show our commitment to meeting women’s unmet health needs today and into the future.

I know that by improving the understanding of women’s health needs that we are one step closer to closing the inequity gap. We have urged other organisations to also take practical steps in improving workplace culture for women and join us in this mission and be part of the solution.

______________________________

³ Jean Hailes Women’s Health Survey 2020. Women’s Health Survey 2020 | Jean Hailes. Accessed: 02 February 2022

⁴ Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS). Economic insecurity and intimate partner violence in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic:  Economic-insecurity-and-IPV-during-the-C19-RR2.pdf (netdna-ssl.com). Page 8. Accessed: 02 February 2022

⁵ Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS). Economic insecurity and intimate partner violence in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic:  Economic-insecurity-and-IPV-during-the-C19-RR2.pdf (netdna-ssl.com). Page 8. Accessed: 02 February 2022

Copyright © (2022) Organon group of companies. All rights reserved.

Organon Pharma Pty Ltd. Building A, Level 3, 26 Talavera Rd, Macquarie Park, NSW 2113.AU-NON-110077 First issued March 2022.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a disproportionate impact on women, Organon issues a call to action for other leaders to create opportunities to focus on women’s health in Australia

Sydney, Australia. February 3, 2022 — Organon (NYSE: OGN), a global women’s health company, is designating International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8 as a day to recognise the growing health disparities women face that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic¹. Since its inception, IWD has focused on accelerating gender parity. Organon recognises the need for a global effort to address her health and is starting with its own employees, including the almost 100 in Organon Australia, by providing paid time off this year for all employees to attend to their own health needs. The company invites organisations in Australia and across the globe to join in raising awareness of the inequity in women’s health and to adopt initiatives that help women prioritise their health.

Women have worked hard to advance in the workplace, but the pandemic is unraveling these hard-fought gains. Many women are now significantly more burned out than ever, even more than men¹ — which can take a huge toll on their physical and mental health. The Jean Hailes’ Women’s Health Survey 2020 Snapshot reports that 31.7% of women aged 25 – 44 did not have enough time to attend health check appointments, and one in four could not get an appointment when they needed one².

“Organon launched with a commitment to listen to the needs of women and as part of our research, we learned that women are finding it harder than ever to make the time to care for even their most basic health needs,” said Kevin Ali, chief executive officer, Organon. “As a company investing in innovation to improve women’s health, I felt a responsibility to help address this within our own global community of almost 9,500 employees. This year, the symbolic action we are taking is to encourage all our people to spend this day off to make a commitment to their own health or the health of the women in their lives, whether that’s going to the doctor, taking stock of their own wellbeing or reflecting on how to make a change.”

“We believe healthy women are the backbone of a thriving, stable and resilient society and when she is healthy, she prospers and so does her community, her society for generations to come. The Australian Federal Government’s National Women’s Health Strategy 2020 – 2030³ recognises the gaps in health outcomes and key health inequities exists for women and girls, and seeks to address these”, said Nirelle Tolstoshev, managing director for Organon Australia.

An online survey of 10,000 Australian women conducted between February and April 2021 by Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety, found that COVID has had an impact on women’s personal and professional lives, as well as that of her family⁴.

One in three women (31 per cent) in the survey had been laid off, lost their job or had to take a pay cut or reduce hours, in the first 12 months of the pandemic. As a result, women reported being unable to pay bills on time, needing to pawn or sell something, going without needed medical or dental treatment, and skipping meals. This has a profound impact not only on women, but also their families and their communities.

This is what Organon is hoping to change, and we are asking others to join in the effort to improve women’s health.

“We foster a People First culture to support our people, our customers and the communities in which we live and work. Empowering women to put their health needs at the top of the priority list is part of the change we need to drive to increase gender equity in all aspects of their lives,” continued Tolstoshev.  “Especially as the pandemic continues to limit women’s ability to take care of themselves, we are proud to show our commitment to meeting women’s unmet health needs today and into the future.”

We believe that by improving the understanding of women’s health needs, we are one step closer to closing the inequity gap. Organon urges all organisations to join in this mission and be part of the solution. Visit hereforherhealth.com/make-time to learn more.

About Organon

Organon is a global healthcare company formed through a spin-off from Merck, (NYSE: MRK) known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, to focus on improving the health of women throughout their lives. Organon has a portfolio of more than 60 medicines and products across a range of therapeutic areas. Led by the women’s health portfolio coupled with an expanding biosimilars business and stable franchise of established medicines, Organon’s products produce strong cash flows that will support investments in innovation and future growth opportunities in women’s health. In addition, Organon is pursuing opportunities to collaborate with biopharmaceutical innovators looking to commercialize their products by leveraging its scale and presence in fast growing international markets.

Organon has a global footprint with significant scale and geographic reach, world-class commercial capabilities, and approximately 9,500 employees with headquarters located in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA.

For more information, visit http://www.organon.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Copyright © (2022) Organon group of companies.  All rights reserved.

Organon Pharma Pty Ltd. Building A, Level 3, 26 Talavera Rd, Macquarie Park, NSW 2113.

AU-NON-110002. First issued February 2022.

To learn more about Organon, please visit https://organon.com/australia/

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