Umicore donates €5,000 to the pediatric oncology department at the University Hospital of Würzburg

With this donation, Umicore supports important research projects

For the past seven years, the Precious Metals Chemistry (PMC) division of the materials technology and recycling group Umicore has been donating to the Würzburg Parents’ Initiative for Children with Leukemia and Cancer (Elterninitiative leukämie- und tumorkranke Kinder Würzburg e.V.). This donation supports important research projects in the field of pediatric oncology at the University Children’s Hospital in Würzburg. The PMC business unit is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of highly active, metal-containing, and organic active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for cancer treatment.

“The fight against cancer, especially in children, is a major priority for Umicore. That is why we will continue to actively work on developing products for the treatment of cancer,” says Michael Schwarz, Director of Global API Business (PMC) at Umicore AG & Co. KG. “Every year, the pediatric oncology department at the University Hospital of Würzburg admits around 100 children and adolescents who have been newly diagnosed with cancer. With this donation, we have the opportunity to help these children and adolescents directly.”

Since the 1970s, preparations based on the precious metal platinum have been recognized in chemotherapy for cancer treatment. Since then, these products have played an essential role in the fight against cancer. In its PMC business unit, Umicore produces the active ingredients oxaliplatin, carboplatin, and cisplatin—which are crucial for cancer treatment—as well as other metal-based and organic active ingredients. With over 40 years of experience in precious metal chemistry, Umicore makes an important contribution to cancer treatment worldwide.

The Würzburg Parents’ Initiative for Children with Leukemia and Cancer has a long-standing and close relationship with pediatric oncology in Würzburg and supports the young patients, their families, their communities, and the hospital itself in a variety of ways. In addition to inpatient care at the hospital, this includes care and support for all those affected and their families at home. This is a particularly significant challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patient care at home offers children and adolescents significant benefits and reduces the need for time-consuming and exhausting hospital visits. The University Hospital is also working on new therapeutic approaches to fighting cancer, such as tumor vaccines or the production of tumor-specific immune cells, to halt the progression of diseases that remain incurable to this day.

Prof. Dr. Paul Schlegel, Head of the Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation, and Ms. Jana Lorenz-Eck, Board Member of the Parents’ Initiative, are delighted with this renewed donation, as is Michael Schwarz, Director of Global API Business (PMC) at Umicore AG & Co. KG.