MSD Expands Operations in Switzerland

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31.01.2020 08:00 Europe/Zurich

  • Company will open a new location in Zurich, focused on accelerating research, data and commercialization of our medicines and vaccines
  • Lucerne will remain the center of MSD’s presence in Switzerland

Lucerne, January 31, 2020 – MSD (Merck Sharp & Dohme AG) today announced that it will establish a new office in Zurich, Switzerland, aimed at accelerating the development and commercialization of many of our company’s medicines and vaccines, which supports our mission to save and improve lives around the world. The new location has a target date of 2021 for operational readiness.

“We are proud that MSD is building on our rich, almost 60-year legacy in Switzerland through the establishment of a new office in Zurich, which is a natural extension of our footprint here,” said Thomas Lang, Managing Director, MSD in Switzerland. “Lucerne will remain the center of our presence in Switzerland, and we look forward to our continued success.”

The new office in Zurich will be staffed by teams working in strategic and operational roles in medical affairs, clinical development, access and marketing operations functions. In addition to relocating employees from other MSD locations worldwide, new talent will be hired. By the time of its completion, more than 250 employees will work at the new site.

“We selected Zurich because of its exceptional academic and life sciences ecosystem coupled with its high stability, central European location,” added Klaus Beck, Vice President, Medical Affairs, MSD in Switzerland. “Zurich provides an ideal setting for our teams to achieve scientific excellence by collaborating to develop and commercialize our inventions to improve human health around the world.”

MSD has had a presence in Switzerland since 1963. With a regional office and manufacturing/packaging facility, Lucerne is considered the center of operations. Approximately 1,000 people work at the four Lucerne locations (Weystrasse, Citybay, Schachen and Kriens).

About MSD in Switzerland:

The field of human medicine in Switzerland is responsible for selling drugs and biopharmaceuticals available only on prescription in the therapy areas of oncology, diabetes, cardiovascular, infectious diseases (amongst others, fungus infections, antibiotic resistances, HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C), immunology, women’s health as well as vaccines for children, adolescents and adults. In Switzerland, MSD conducts clinical research and manufactures drugs for worldwide clinical studies. MSD is also involved at its Lucerne location, among other things in the annual specialist event “Trendtage Gesundheit Luzern”. In 2019, the Switzerland company received the certification “Top Employer” for the seventh time in a row as well as the award “Top Employer Europe” for the fourth time.

About MSD worldwide:

For more than a century, MSD, a leading global biopharmaceutical company, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases. MSD is the trade name of Merck & Co., Inc, with headquarters in Kenilworth, N.J., USA. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today, MSD continues to be at the forefront of research to advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and communities around the world – including cancer, cardio-metabolic diseases, emerging animal diseases, Alzheimer’s disease and infectious diseases including HIV and Ebola.

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Media department MSD Switzerland
media.switzerland@merck.com | Tel. +41 (0) 58 618 30 30
Jean-Blaise Defago (Policy & Communications Director)

© 2020 MSD Merck Sharp & Dohme AG, Werftestrasse 4, 6005 Lucerne. All rights reserved.

CH-NON-00410, 01/2020