News releases

>> Go to all press releases

MSD Switzerland supports physical activity and health – Successful Lucerne City Run 2026

© Annette Schreiber

Lucerne, 25 April 2026 – The 48th Lucerne City Run once again brought thousands of people of all ages into motion today.

As a globally leading biopharmaceutical company with its Swiss headquarters in Lucerne, MSD Merck Sharp & Dohme AG supported the event as overall sponsor, underscoring its strong commitment to the local community and to the promotion of health.

The Lucerne City Run inspires families, school classes, clubs and companies across generations year after year to engage in running and recorded more than 15,500 registrations this year – the highest number ever. MSD enabled 1,100 children to participate free of charge in the team races for schools (grades 3 to 6). These races have been an integral part of the event programme since 1978 and exemplify the joy of being physically active and the promotion of togetherness.

«The Lucerne City Run brings generations together and creates a strong sense of community in a vibrant atmosphere – that is what makes this event so special,» says Andreas Grüter, Managing Director of the Lucerne City Run. «MSD’s continued support highlights the importance of working with locally rooted partners to sustainably promote physical activity and health.»

Long-term commitment to the Lucerne region

With the recent move into its new headquarters in the Rösslimatt district of Lucerne, MSD underlines its long-term commitment to Central Switzerland – not only as an employer, but also as an active member of the local community.

«The Lucerne City Run brings people from the region together and promotes physical activity across all generations. Supporting this sense of togetherness and the joy of an active lifestyle is a key priority for us at MSD,» says Jasper Kunow, Managing Director a.i. MSD Switzerland.

MSD’s involvement in the Lucerne City Run reflects its holistic understanding of health: health begins in everyday life – with movement, encounters and a strong local community.

MSD in Switzerland

MSD, a leading biopharmaceutical company, employs over 1,000 people in Switzerland at three sites. The company’s headquarters are in Lucerne. At the site in Zurich, in “The Circle”, MSD operates a global innovation and development hub. In addition, we manufacture medicines for global clinical trials and operate a forensic laboratory in Schachen (Canton Lucerne). MSD conducts around 40 clinical trials annually in Switzerland alone. The main therapeutic areas of MSD are oncology, infectious diseases, cardiovascular and cardiometabolic diseases. We also have a broad portfolio of vaccines for the prevention of diseases in children, adolescents, and adults and we are one of the leading companies in veterinary medicine in Switzerland. Furthermore, we take our responsibility to the local community seriously and have been involved for many years in initiatives such as the «Trendtage Gesundheit Luzern» and the «Alliance Health Competence».

For more information, please visit www.msd.ch, de.msd-animal-health.ch, www.msd-gesundheit.ch, www.mymsd.ch and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook und YouTube

MSD Merck Sharp & Dohme AG, Werftestrasse 4, 6005 Lucerne. Switzerland.

Copyright © 2026 Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA and its affiliates. All rights reserved..

^{CH-NON-03345, 04/2026}

>> Go to all press releases