{"id":8425,"date":"2024-03-08T11:55:32","date_gmt":"2024-03-08T10:55:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.msd.ch\/en\/?post_type=news_item&p=8425"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:30:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T11:30:04","slug":"msd-and-lucerne-health-trend-congress-together-for-healthy-longevity","status":"publish","type":"news_item","link":"https:\/\/www.msd.ch\/en\/news\/msd-and-lucerne-health-trend-congress-together-for-healthy-longevity\/","title":{"rendered":"MSD & \u201cTrendtage Gesundheit Luzern\u201d (Lucerne Health Trend Congress) are committed to healthy longevity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

>> Go to all press releases<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lucerne, March 8, 2024 \u2013 This year once again saw the \u201cKultur- und Kongresszentrum Luzern\u201d (Lucerne Culture and Congress Center) hosting the \u201cTrendtage Gesundheit Luzern\u201d on March 6 and 7, 2024. The sponsoring association, \u201cForum Gesundheit Luzern\u201d (Lucerne Health Forum), which establishes a national platform for exchanging experience and fostering the formation of opinions on trends and prospects in the healthcare sector thanks to this event, welcomed around 600 opinion leaders and decision-makers from the fields of medicine, science, business, and politics. Life expectancy in Switzerland is one of the highest worldwide: between 1990 and 2022, this increased by 7.6 and 4.6 years for men and women respectively.1<\/sup> This year\u2019s focus was therefore on the very exciting and topical subject of \u201cFOREVER YOUNG?\u201d. MSD, whose Swiss headquarters are located in Lucerne, also believes it has a responsibility to focus on the health and well-being of people in all age groups as well as its employees.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a leading biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Lucerne, MSD Switzerland (MSD Merck Sharp & Dohme AG) has already been supporting the \u201cTrendtage Gesundheit Luzern\u201d since 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jean-Blaise Defago, Government & Public Affairs Lead at MSD Switzerland: “Long-term local commitments are very important to MSD. Our commitment to the \u201cTrendtage\u201d is aimed at helping to shape important debate in the long term and at making a sustainable contribution to the evolution of the healthcare sector.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Peter Csutora, MD, Country Medical Director at MSD Switzerland, took part in this year\u2019s panel discussion on March 7, 2024 on the topic of \u201cLiving better and longer: in which direction is the pharmaceutical industry conducting research and development?\u201d. The debate with the other participants dealt with the question of the direction in which the pharmaceutical industry is conducting research in order to extend people\u2019s health span and enable them to remain healthy for as long as possible (also referred to as \u201clongevity\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Peter Csutora, MD, is firmly convinced that innovative research could improve the results of treatment for numerous diseases and health complaints suffered by patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Panel discussion \u201cLiving better and longer\u201d from the left: Dr. Peter Csutora MD (Country Medical Director, MSD Switzerland), Nicole Frank (host), Davide Cavanna (Therapeutic Area Lead GI\/GU, AstraZeneca Switzerland), and Nina Reichert (Medical Director, Amgen) \u00a9 Photo: MSD\/Meier & Kamer GmbH<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3 questions for
Dr. Peter Csutora, MD, Country Medical Director, MSD Switzerland<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

In which therapeutic areas is MSD conducting research?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

MSD is concentrating on the development of scientific innovations for delivering drugs and vaccines that make a sustainable contribution to the health and well-being of people of all age groups. Our focus is on oncology, the development of new vaccines, and research in the area of infectious diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MSD adheres to the philosophy that \u201cMedicine is for the people\u201d. What exactly does that mean?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

No medical progress without research. According to the philosophy of \u201cMedicine is for the people\u201d, which comes from Georg W. Merck, the son of our company\u2019s founder, MSD conducts research for mankind and generates ideas and solutions. It does this to develop innovative drugs and vaccines that can help people of any age around the globe. To achieve this, we invest around one quarter of our turnover each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An increasing number of people around the globe are developing cancer. What progress has MSD achieved in the fight against cancer?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the area of oncology, which is one of our company\u2019s core segments, we are concentrating on immunotherapy aimed at activating the body\u2019s own immune system to fight the tumor. Our commitment to research and development has enabled us to establish an unusually broad-based research program consisting of more than 1,600 clinical trials. Switzerland is part of this program, with 34 clinical trials involving various types of tumors at present (status 10\/2023). Today, our portfolio encompasses oncological drugs for treating various types of cancer and their comorbidities. Our goal is innovations that extend and improve the lives of people with cancer. That is our daily motivation. That\u2019s what drives us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you for talking to us.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Life expectancy and state of health in 20231<\/sup><\/h2>\n\n\n\n