MSD Pharma Hungary Research Program with SZTE

MSD Pharma Hungary Ltd. is expanding its clinical research program, primarily for the treatment of cancer, in cooperation with the University of Szeged (SZTE), the public relations department of the higher education institution has informed MTI.

According to the statement, the joint research and development activities of the Hungarian subsidiary of the pharmaceutical company and SZTE also serve to accelerate the start of trials and provide early access to innovative therapies.

SZTE is the first Hungarian university to have signed a strategic agreement with MSD. A communiqué quotes Rector László Rovó as saying that oncological therapies are nowadays very complex, complicated and time-consuming, and therefore require increasing expertise from all participants. “Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in our country. Clinical trials are of enormous importance in the therapeutic field, as they provide patients with access to new and innovative treatments that are not yet part of everyday medical routine,” he points out.

According to the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Judit Fendler, the organization and support of clinical trials has been a priority of the SZTE for many years. In addition to benefiting patients' well-being, these studies are a significant source of income for the university.

The first phase of clinical trials can be carried out at the university. The first human trials of a clinical phase product are carried out under very strict and well-regulated requirements, with voluntary participants, only in centers accredited by the National Institute of Pharmacy and Food Health, such as the one in Szeged.

MSD's clinical research director for Hungary, Szabolcs Barótfi, says that twelve trials initiated by the company are currently underway in Szeged, and that the high level of cooperation is expected to increase this number further.

MSD Pharma Hungary Kft. as one of Hungary's largest pharmaceutical companies with clinical research activities, conducts 78 active research studies involving more than 800 subjects at 300 sites, strictly regulated by ethical and regulatory standards, in which patients participate of their own free will. The company not only provides SZTE with priority access to innovative clinical trial technologies, but also supports the institution's researchers and physicians with professional advice and training.