L’Oréal’s New Melanoma Research Effort

L'Oréal-owned skin care brands SkinCeuticals, CeraVe and La Roche-Posay and the Melanoma Research Alliance, the largest non-profit funder of melanoma research, today announced the start of a three-year partnership to raise awareness of melanoma and improve detection and treatment. 

As part of this partnership, they have issued the L'Oréal Dermatological Beauty Brands-MRA Team Science Award to researchers at Stanford University's School of Medicine who are studying how artificial intelligence (AI) within dermatologic practices can be used to improve melanoma detection.

Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the US  and is one of the most common cancers in young adults, especially young women. While treatments for advanced melanomas have improved significantly in the last decade, melanoma is still the deadliest of all skin cancers and this year an estimated 6,800 people will succumb to the disease. However, when caught early, melanoma is highly curable, making early detection efforts critical. 

The award will support work being led by Dr. Roberto Novoa. The partnership is supporting research that will help highlight ideal use-cases and the unforeseen benefits or pitfalls of AI implementation in clinical practice and research with the potential to improve the early detection of melanoma when it is most treatable. 

“As the global leader in dermocosmetics, L'Oréal is committed to the science of skin health. We are proud to partner with the Melanoma Research Alliance to help advance this crucial research in skin cancer prevention and detection using sophisticated AI technology,” said Group President of L'Oréal USA's Active Cosmetics Division Marc Toulemonde. “It is our hope that our work together will bring much needed attention to melanoma and the role of dermatologists serving on its front lines.”

In addition to funding the Team Science award, L'Oréal and MRA will also raise awareness of melanoma and the need for early detection by directing patients and consumers to the Skin Check Pledge microsite. By taking the pledge, users commit to learning what to look for, performing a monthly-self exam and seeing a dermatologist for an annual exam. 

“Dermatologists serve a critical role in the early detection of melanoma,” says MRA President and CEO Michael Kaplan. “This partnership with L'Oréal will help us better harness the power of new tools – like machine learning and artificial intelligence – needed to help dermatologists make an even bigger impact in the fight against melanoma.”

L'Oréal USA has been a longtime partner of the Melanoma Research Alliance. Since 2013, L'Oréal has granted $1.5 million to advance this important research.