Georg Jensen has continued its partnership with Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF) to launch the Georg Jensen OCRF Heart pendant.
A portion of proceeds from each pendant sold will be donated to help fund ovarian cancer research.
The annual Georg Jensen OCRF Heart campaign brings together advocates, researchers and women living with ovarian cancer to join the fight against ovarian cancer.
This year’s campaign features media personalities Melissa Leong, Rachael Finch, and Maria Thattil, as well as OCRF ambassadors Dr Shabnam Gujadhur, Varshini D. Venkata and Isabella Moore.
Australian TV host Melissa Leong, who is part of the campaign, said that all Australians should be “alarmed at the realities” of ovarian cancer.
“We lose too many Australian women to it daily (one every eight hours),” Leong said. “They are mothers, sisters, friends. OCRF exists to change this through their research, and thanks to initiatives like this one with Georg Jensen, there is a real chance that we can save the lives of many.
“Why should we care? Because this affects all of us, not just those of us with ovaries.”
With no targeted treatment methods or early detection test, ovarian cancer takes the life of one woman in Australia every eight hours, making it the most lethal female cancer.
A notable study conducted by the OCRF discovered that the development of an early detection test to catch the disease in stages 1a or 1b could increase five-year survival rates from the current 48% to over 90%.
Dr Shabnam Gujadhur, a current ovarian cancer patient and ambassador to the campaign, completed her medical degree in 2021. She then started her career as a junior doctor interning at the Gold Coast University Hospital.
“After my 30th Birthday this year in February 2022, I got diagnosed with ovarian cancer (germ cell) and I have so far undergone two surgeries,” Dr Gujadhur said.
“My cancer has been said to be a rare type of mixed dysgerminoma and gonad blastoma and it took weeks to get a proper histopathology report and final diagnosis.”
Georg Jensen’s partnership with OCRF is in its eighth consecutive year, where it has raised more than $480,000 to date.
OCRF was established in 2000 and is Australia’s leading independent body dedicated to funding national ovarian cancer research.
Isabella Moore, a PhD student specialising in medical biochemistry and another ambassador to the campaign, is driving research towards more effective treatments for ovarian cancer.
“We are developing new treatments that are more tailored to each individual patient and with less severe side effects than traditional chemotherapy,” Moore said.
“Ultimately, our goal is to improve treatment response, survival, and quality of life for ovarian cancer patients.
"In the future, I would like to work together with researchers, clinicians, and patients to make personalised medicine a reality for all cancer patients.”
Since 2001, OCRF have given more than $16.5 million to Australian researchers to battle ovarian cancer. This includes aims to develop an early detection test and more accurate treatment methods.
From September 5, the Georg Jensen OCRF Heart pendant will be available to purchase from Georg Jensen stores nationally and through its online store.
The silver pendant will retail for $250, with a $50 donation to the OCRF and the 18 kt yellow gold pendant will retail for $1,195, with a $200 donation to the OCRF.
Georg Jensen is a Danish luxury brand founded in 1904.