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ZERO Prostate Cancer and Bayer Band Together with Twisted Sister’s Jay Jay French to Raise Awareness about Prostate Cancer Screening and Treatment

INTENDED FOR U.S. MEDIA ONLY

We're Not Gonna Take It slogan
  • National campaign led by ZERO and Bayer, respective leaders in addressing prostate cancer, aims to empower men to take action to catch this often slow-growing cancer early, and if diagnosed, to understand what treatment options might be right for them.
  • National prostate cancer campaign aims to empower men to take action to catch this often slow-growing cancer early and understand what treatment options might be right for them1

WHIPPANY, N.J., June 17, 2021 – Patient organization ZERO Prostate Cancer and Bayer are banding together to launch We’re Not Gonna Take It – a national prostate cancer education program with guitarist Jay Jay French, founding member of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. The rocker was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018 and now, he is urging men to turn up the volume against prostate cancer to detect this disease early. The campaign encourages men to get screened for prostate cancer and become more informed about risk factors, such as family history and elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.2 For men already diagnosed with prostate cancer, the program offers information to help better understand the diagnosis and available treatment options. As part of the campaign, ZERO, Bayer and Jay Jay French are encouraging men and their loved ones to visit ZERO’s website, which includes the podcast “Prostate Cancer Uncensored” where Jay Jay shares his story and the “Truth or Twisted” quiz to separate fact from fiction when it comes to prostate cancer.

“My father died from prostate cancer in 1984 and because of the family history, my doctors were on the lookout for this disease in me and my brother,” said French. “I’m a prostate cancer survivor because my doctors were proactive, and I’m working with ZERO and Bayer to encourage men 50 and older, especially those with a family history of the disease, to become advocates for themselves, getting checked each year and knowing if their PSA number is on the rise.”

“All men are at risk for prostate cancer and screening and early detection is the best defense against this disease,” said Jamie Bearse, ZERO CEO and President. “Understanding family history and other risk factors is an important step in knowing when to begin screening for prostate cancer.”

If elevated PSA is identified early, there are treatment options that have been shown to extend survival.3 It is important for men to be informed about different treatment options and their side effect profile so that they can have educated treatment conversations with their doctor. We’re Not Gonna Take It seeks to educate men about treatments options, so they can advocate for themselves.

“We are proud to work alongside ZERO and Jay Jay French to help support the exceptional work being done to educate men about prostate cancer,” said Nelson Ambrogio, Senior Vice President, General Manager, Oncology at Bayer. “Through science, innovation and research, Bayer is committed to transforming the treatment of prostate cancer, with the goal of bringing meaningful benefit so men can live longer.”


About ZERO Prostate Cancer

ZERO Prostate Cancer is the leading national nonprofit with the mission to end prostate cancer and help all who are impacted. ZERO advances research, provides support, and creates solutions to achieve health equity to meet the most critical needs of our community. From early detection to survivorship, ZERO is the premier resource for prostate cancer patients and their families to access comprehensive support, make meaningful connections, and take action to save lives. Our dedicated national and chapter staff is joined with a growing team of passionate volunteer champions to increase advocacy, awareness, and community engagement to ZERO out prostate cancer. ZERO is recognized with four out of four stars by Charity Navigator and accredited by the Better Business Bureau. ZERO spends more on programs than any other prostate cancer charity, dedicating 85 cents of every dollar to support, education, and research.

About the National Prostate Cancer Education Campaign
We’re Not Gonna Take It is a national education campaign to raise awareness about the importance of screening and early detection of prostate cancer. With support from Bayer, ZERO is proud to partner with Jay Jay French – guitarist, manager, record producer and founding member of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. The rock and roller is a prostate cancer survivor and national spokesperson for the education campaign designed to motivate men to take action about prostate cancer, learn about risk factors, such as family history of the disease, and understand their treatment options. As part of the campaign, ZERO, Bayer and Jay Jay French are encouraging men and their loved ones to visit ZERO’s website, which includes the podcast “Prostate Cancer Uncensored” where Jay Jay shares his story and the “Truth or Twisted” quiz to separate fact from fiction when it comes to prostate cancer.

About Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed malignancy in men worldwide.4 In 2020, about 192,000 men in the U.S. were diagnosed with prostate cancer and an estimated 33,000 have died from the disease.5 Prostate cancer is the fifth leading cause of death from cancer in men.4 Prostate cancer results from the abnormal proliferation of cells within the prostate gland, which is part of a man’s reproductive system.1 It mainly affects men over the age of 50, and the risk increases with age.6

About Oncology at Bayer
Bayer is committed to delivering science for a better life by advancing a portfolio of innovative treatments. The oncology franchise at Bayer includes six marketed products and several other assets in various stages of clinical development. Together, these products reflect the company’s approach to research, which prioritizes targets and pathways with the potential to impact the way that cancer is treated.

About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to help people and planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to drive sustainable development and generate a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2020, the Group employed around 100,000 people and had sales of 41.4 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 4.9 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

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BAYER and the Bayer Cross are registered trademarks of Bayer. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Media Contacts:
Rebecca Cowens-Alvarado, Tel. +1 862.341.8103
E-Mail: rebecca.cowens-alvarado@bayer.com

ZERO Prostate Cancer
Colony Brown, Tel +1 202.640.8265
E-Mail: colony@zerocancer.org


Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

1 American Cancer Society. What is Prostate Cancer? https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/CRC/PDF/Public/8793.00.pdf. Accessed June 2021.

2 Cleveland Clinic. Elevated PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) Level. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15282-elevated-psa-prostate-specific-antigen-level. Accessed June 2021.

3 American Society of Clinical Oncology. Cancer Progress Timeline. Prostate Cancer. https://www.asco.org/research-guidelines/cancer-progress-timeline/prostate-cancer. Accessed June 2021.

4 GLOBOCAN 2018: Estimated Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide in 2018. Prostate Cancer. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.3322/caac.21492. Accessed June 2021.

5 American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2020. https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2020/cancer-facts-and-figures-2020.pdf. Accessed June 2021.

6 American Cancer Society. Prostate Cancer Risk Factors. https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/CRC/PDF/Public/8794.00.pdf. Accessed June 2021.

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