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Oncology

We’re working to invent a world where cancer isn’t just treated, but cured.

Our mission is to deliver breakthrough innovations that extend and improve the lives of people with cancer

We work to prevent cancer through vaccination and to provide oncologists with treatment options that give their patients a better quality of life and more time.

Everyone knows someone who has been touched by cancer. When a cancer diagnosis happens, what matters most isn’t what the next scientific breakthrough is – but when it will be available to patients in Switzerland.

Our work in oncology

clinical trials involving our cancer medicines in Switzerland (as of 04/2024).

~500

patients currently enrolled in our clinical trials in Switzerland and about 200 patients are actively on study drug (as of 04/2024).

>10

different types of cancer are being studied in our clinical trials Switzerland (as of 04/2024).

Our focus

Our company has a long history of bringing forward innovative medicines. In the field of oncology, we focus on immunotherapy, which aims to activate the body's own immune system to fight the tumor. Our relentless commitment to research and development has enabled us to establish an exceptionally broad research program with more than 1'600 studies. Switzerland is part of this program, currently conducting 36 clinical trials in different tumor types (as of 04/2024). Today, our portfolio includes oncology medicines that treat different cancers and conditions related to cancer treatment.

Access to care

Improving access to cancer care is our strategic priority. We are working with the entire cancer community to help patients gain access to the oncology medicines that they need and to expand the provision of quality cancer care.

The Swiss Oncology team is:

collaborating with authorities and institutions to ensure access to our medicines.
working on solutions how to continuously improve the support of healthcare professionals and patients in the treatment of cancer.
interacting with Oncologists, Scientific leaders and patient organizations to gain insight into market and customer needs.
engages with decision makers to make cancer care in Switzerland even more efficient and solution-oriented.

Progress through partnerships

We work with the entire cancer community - advocacy partners, health care providers, government and industry colleagues - all who share our mission to extend and improve the lives of people with cancer.

Our focus areas are:

Information and education

We provide information about cancer, prevention and early detection, therapy options, and where patients can get advice and support on various platforms: for cancer patients and their relatives and for medical professionals:

msd-gesundheit.ch: Information platform for cancer patients

mymsd.ch: Information platform for medical professionals

Prevention and early detection

We work with various patient organizations and support campaigns to raise public awareness about cancer prevention and early detection:

EUROPA DONNA Switzerland: awareness campaign for early detection of breast cancer

Leben mit Lungenkrebs: platform for lung cancer patients and their relatives

My Survival Story: platform for cancer survivors in the field of patient empowerment
SGDV Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Dermatologie und Venerologie: National skin cancer campaign for the prevention of skin cancer

Improving cancer care

We support platforms that continuously drive health policy discussions around improving cancer care in Switzerland:

Gfs Bern: regular surveys of the population on the quality of cancer care in Switzerland.

Oncosuisse: We are a member of the Oncosuisse partner pool and thus actively promote networking in the oncology community with the aim to break down barriers in the system and close gaps.

Swiss Consumer Forum kf: regular Onco Roundtables with various stakeholders to discuss & find solutions to improve current cancer care in Switzerland.
Swiss Cancer Foundation: We are a member of the Swiss Cancer Foundation and thus support important research projects in the field of cancer care.

«Visionary research and collaborative action have already led to breakthroughs in the prevention and treatment of certain cancers. We are continuously working to drive further innovation that will help change the future of this disease.»

Anthony Behr

Business Unit Director Oncology · MSD Switzerland

Key therapeutic areas

Learn more about our commitment to fight cancer

Our team

Skin cancer prevention: Lunch & Learn about «Melanoma»

More than 100 colleagues took the opportunity to participate in today’s Lunch & Learn, either in person or online. The following is an excerpt of what they learned. We are committed to the fight against cancer Switzerland is one of the countries with the highest melanoma incidence rate in the world. Although the average age […]

Responsibility

What we do to support Lung Cancer Awareness Month

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. A month dedicated to those affected and to raising public awareness about the causes, early detection and prevention of the disease. Did you know lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide? At MSD, we are committed to fighting lung cancer and improving cancer care. Learn how we support Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

Knowledge

Things to know about cancer and the biomarker MSI-H/dMMR

Cancer patients need treatment that is most suitable for their specific disease. Biomarkers, biological characteristics that can be measured in blood or tissue samples, are an aid in finding the right treatment. MSI-h/dMMR is such a biomarker.

Our team

Walking the Talk: Lunch & Learn about HPV

Prevention starts with us! To mark International HPV Awareness Day, we met with gynecologist Dr. Alina Staikov for a Lunch & Learn. During the meeting, we had the opportunity to learn about the impact human papillomavirus (HPV) can have on our health and how we can protect ourselves and our loved ones from the viruses and certain cancers it causes.