Author: pr-moritz
Last saved by: Roland Birkhoff
Company: Bayer
Document comments: V-2026-09-25

Not intended for U.S. and UK Media
International Menopause Society (IMS) Congress 2026:
Bayer Launches New Menopause Advocacy and Policy Alliance
•	Global leaders in women’s and public health unite to form the Menopause Advocacy and Policy (MAP) Alliance and accelerate menopause care, policy and workplace support
•	At IMS, the MAP Alliance unveils research that highlights why menopause must become a greater public health and policy priority
•	New evidence exposes critical gaps in understanding the health system and societal impact of menopause
•	Across the 12 countries assessed in the MAP Alliance’s first issue brief, no country has yet established a mature, fully funded and coordinated approach to menopause care 

Berlin and Rio De Janeiro, September 29, 2026 – Bayer today announced the launch of the Menopause Advocacy and Policy (MAP) Alliance, bringing together global leaders in women’s health advocacy, clinical research, academia, health policy, and industry to advance practical reform in menopause care, policy and workplace support. The MAP Alliance is funded and facilitated by Bayer.

With several of its initiatives launching at the International Menopause Society (IMS) World Congress 2026 in Rio de Janeiro, the MAP Alliance was created in response to growing recognition that menopause can have far-reaching personal, societal and economic impacts. As a global leader in women’s healthcare, Bayer has a long-standing commitment to advancing innovation and supporting progress in areas of unmet need for women worldwide, including menopause. 

Despite effects of menopause on millions of women worldwide, progress remains fragmented and inconsistent across countries and sectors, underscoring the need for a coordinated, multisector response.^1

“Menopause is a universal life transition that affects women around the world, yet healthcare systems, workplaces and public policy remain poorly equipped to meet women’s needs,” said Dr Jane M. Barratt, Global Advisor on Ageing, Health and Social Policy, founding member and Chair of the MAP Alliance. “The MAP Alliance has a bold ambition: to create a world in which every woman can navigate menopause with confidence and the support she needs. This is our moment to move from awareness to action and build systems that support women’s health, wellbeing and full participation in society.”

Building the Evidence Base for Change in Menopause Management
At IMS, the MAP Alliance will present new findings from a systematic literature review examining the impact of menopause on women, healthcare systems and society. The analysis aims to expose where the evidence remains weakest, particularly around health systems and societal impacts, providing a clear foundation for high-priority future research, investment and policy development.^2 The findings will be available through e-poster abstract E.379, The Impact of Menopause on Individuals and Society: A Systematic Review.

“The evidence is clear: menopause can have a profound impact on women's health, wellbeing and participation in the workforce, yet too many women continue to encounter barriers to evidence-based care and support,” said Dr. Pauline Maki, Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology and Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Director of the UIC Center for Health Awareness and Research on Menopause (CHARM) and Executive Committee member of the MAP Alliance. “By connecting research, expertise and practical policy-focused solutions, the MAP Alliance aims to help close these gaps and accelerate meaningful progress.” 

The review forms part of a connected approach to develop the evidence, policy insight and measurement needed to support reform. A new series of issue briefs, beginning with The State of Menopause Care Policy: A 12-country assessment of recent advances and gaps in policymaking, will examine emerging policy approaches and identify practical opportunities for change. The review features a heat map tracking progress across the five menopause policy areas that have received the greatest attention from policymakers over the past five years. It also spotlights 14 regional laws enacted across Europe, North America and South America that are advancing menopause care. Together, these insights underscore the cost of policy inaction for women, health systems, employers and national economies.^3 The full report is available on the MAP Alliance website. 

This work is also intended to support a consistent framework for comparing menopause care and policy across countries, helping to show where progress is being made and where further action is needed. 

MAP Alliance at IMS 2026
At IMS, attendees can learn more about the MAP Alliance and its research through:
•	E-poster: The Impact of Menopause on Individuals and Society: A Systematic Review
o	Poster E.379; digital display

•	Plenary panel: Menopause and the Women's Health Gap: A Blueprint for Advancing Menopause Care Globally - The Global Costs of Menopause
o	October 2, 2026, 10:20-11:10 BRT, OCEANIA 9

•	Meet the Experts session: From Momentum to Action: Introducing the MAP Alliance
o	October 2, 2026, 14:00-14:30 BRT, Booth #10-12

The MAP Alliance is calling on policymakers, healthcare leaders and employers to work together to prioritize menopause as a public health and economic issue, by increasing women’s awareness of and access to reliable menopause information, expanding access to appropriate care, improving healthcare provider education and creating supportive workplace environments that enable women to remain healthy, productive and fully engaged throughout midlife. Visit https://www.map-alliance.org and follow the MAP Alliance on LinkedIn to learn how you can get involved.

About the Menopause Advocacy and Policy (MAP) Alliance
The Menopause Advocacy & Policy (MAP) Alliance is a global alliance of cross-sector stakeholders synthesizing evidence and insights into local action that will lead to measurable change in menopause. Its mission is to enable change in systems for the well-being of women experiencing menopause, in order to create a new world in which all women can confidently navigate this major life transition. To achieve this, the MAP Alliance aims to advance effective policies and systems that promote impactful, timely and quality menopause care, and transform workplaces to support women in menopause. The MAP Alliance is funded and facilitated by Bayer.

About Menopause
By 2030, nearly 500 million women will be in the menopausal transition years.^4 The menopausal transition is a phase in women’s lives related to the cessation of menstrual cycles usually occurring in their late 40s or early 50s. Menopause symptoms can also be a consequence of surgical or medical treatment such as breast cancer treatment. The most frequently reported and disruptive menopause symptoms are VMS and sleep disturbances, which can substantially affect a woman’s health, quality of life and work productivity.^5-8 Addressing disruptive menopause symptoms is key to maintaining functional ability and quality of life which is highly relevant from both a healthcare and socio-economic perspective.

About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. In line with its mission, “Health for all, Hunger for none,” the company’s products and services are designed to support efforts to master major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2025, the Group employed around 88,000 people and had sales of 45.6 billion euros. R&D expenses amounted to 5.8 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

Contact for media inquiries:
Andrew Fenwick
Email: afenwick@realchemistry.com

Find more information at www.bayer.com/en/portfolio/pharmaceuticals
Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bayer

ko	(2026-0158e)

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. 

Bayer AG is a holding company with operating subsidiaries worldwide. References to “Bayer” or “the company” herein may refer to one or more subsidiaries as context requires.

References
1.	Kalbarczyk A, Baker LH, Na Y, Syed M, Banegas Lagos M, Morgan R. Navigating menopausal care: a scoping review of health system responsiveness and gaps. Lancet Obstet Gynaecol Womens Health. 2026;2(6):e550-e559.
2.	Menopause Advocacy and Policy (MAP) Alliance. The impact of menopause on individuals and society: a systematic review. IMS World Congress 2026. Abstract E.379.
3.	Menopause Advocacy and Policy (MAP) Alliance. The state of menopause care policy: a review. 2026. Available from: MAP Alliance.
4.	Wilson M, Schmidt I, Alam M, et al. The Health and Economic Impacts of Menopause: Policies and Investments to Advance Care, Opportunity, and Equity. FP Analytics; May 2025. Available in: https://impactsofmenopause.com/
5.	Santoro N, Epperson CN, Mathews SB. Menopausal symptoms and their management. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2015;44(3):497-515.
6.	Thurston RC, Joffe H. Vasomotor symptoms and menopause: findings from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2011;38(3):489-501.
7.	Simon JA, Anderson RA, Ballantyne E, Bolognese J, Caetano C, Joffe H, et al. Efficacy and safety of elinzanetant, a selective neurokinin-1,3 receptor antagonist for vasomotor symptoms: a dose-finding clinical trial (SWITCH-1). Menopause. 2023;30(3):239-246.
8.	Nappi RE, Kroll R, Siddiqui E, Stoykova B, Rea C, Gemmen E, et al. Global cross-sectional survey of women with vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause: prevalence and quality of life burden. Menopause. 2021;28(8):875-882.