Budapest, May 27, 2025 — In a powerful step toward medical innovation, Semmelweis University and MSD Pharma Hungary Ltd. signed a new strategic cooperation agreement on May 22, further strengthening a partnership that spans over two decades.
The signing ceremony was led by Dr. Béla Merkely, Rector of Semmelweis University, and Sean R. Smith, Managing Director of MSD, marking a renewed commitment to collaborative progress in clinical research, diagnostics, innovation, and education.
Building on an earlier memorandum from May 2024, this agreement opens the door to cutting-edge joint research in personalized medicine, including the use of liquid biopsy, development of AI-driven healthcare tools, and training in data science. The focus areas also include oncology, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, and chronic illness management.
Semmelweis University aims to improve patient care through access to MSD-sponsored clinical trials, enhanced diagnostics, and expanded publication output. Future initiatives include the development of national chronic disease databases and new methodologies in epidemiological research.
“This agreement is also about the next generation,” emphasized Sean R. Smith. “Medical students are the future of innovation—we want to provide them direct access to global best practices and real-world research.”
Over the past 10 years, the two institutions have collaborated on 52 clinical research projects, many in early- and late-stage trials. These efforts have led to regional advances in epidemiological methods and comprehensive cancer data for Hungary.
Source: Semmelweis University
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