MSD and Mayor Mark 50 Years of Schachen Site with Commemorative Plaque
25.09.2026 15:02 CEST
MSD and Mayor Mark 50 Years of Schachen Site with Commemorative Plaque
From left to right: José Cores, Head of the Schachen Site; Mike Kress, Senior Vice President, MRL; Lukas Hermann, Mayor of Werthenstein; Franz Escherich, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the MSD Group in Switzerland. © Aline Gerber.
Lucerne, September 25, 2026 – MSD Merck Sharp & Dohme, a leading biopharmaceutical company, this week celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Schachen site in the municipality of Werthenstein, Lucerne, together with employees, retirees, local authorities and global senior leadership through several events.
The highlight of the celebrations was the unveiling of a commemorative plaque at the site entrance by Lukas Hermann, Mayor of Werthenstein, Franz Escherich, Chairman of the Board of the MSD Group in Switzerland, and Mike Kress, Senior Vice President, MRL.
Founded in 1976, the Schachen site has developed into an important innovation and production center within MSD’s global network. Over the past 20 years, MSD has invested more than CHF 230 million in the site, underscoring its long-term commitment to innovation, modern production and Switzerland as a life sciences hub. Today, more than 300 employees work in scientific, analytical, technical and production-related roles, supporting the development, testing and supply of medicines for clinical trials worldwide.
“MSD and Schachen have grown together over the past 50 years”, said Lukas Hermann, Mayor of Werthenstein. “The site provides highly skilled jobs and has become an important part of our local identity. This anniversary is a moment of pride for the entire region.”
“Schachen demonstrates the strengths that make Switzerland one of the world’s leading life sciences locations”, said Franz Escherich, Chairman of the Board of the MSD Group in Switzerland. “For five decades, the site has combined scientific excellence, innovation and production expertise while contributing to the Swiss economy.”
“For 50 years, Schachen has made an important contribution to MSD’s global research and production network”, said Mike Kress, Senior Vice President, MRL. “The site’s scientific expertise, talented employees and culture of innovation continue to help advance our mission: bringing innovative medicines and vaccines to patients around the world.”
The anniversary plaque serves as a lasting reminder of the people, achievements and pioneering spirit that have shaped Schachen over the past 50 years and continue to drive its success today.
MSD Merck Sharp & Dohme 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».
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Media Contact
Antonio Ligi
Head of Communications
MSD Merck Sharp & Dohme AG, Bürgenstrasse 8, 6005 Lucerne. Switzerland.
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CH-NON-03527, 09/2026