The partners share the goal of launching initiatives that create tangible impact across patient care, professional education, public health literacy and data-driven healthcare. The agreement was signed on December 5, 2025, by Prof. Dr. Béla Merkely, Rector of Semmelweis University, and Pawel Tokarzewski, Country Manager of Eli Lilly.
Semmelweis University is a leading medical and health sciences higher education institution in Hungary and the Central European region, distinguished as the country’s only university dedicated exclusively to these fields, while Lilly has been at the forefront of medicine for nearly 150 years globally, and 35 years in Hungary, with pioneering work in cardiometabolic diseases, oncology and neuroscience. The agreement is guided by shared values such as scientific excellence, patient-centered thinking, shared respect for people, excellence, integrity and the conviction that innovation truly matters only when it reaches those who need it most. This collaboration is therefore not only logical but strategically significant: by building on each other’s expertise and leading position in its fields, the partners aim to advance the Hungarian healthcare system, address public health challenges and ensure that scientific progress is widely applied.
Key Pillars of the Collaboration: Education, Scientific Cooperation, and Data-Driven Healthcare
One of the central pillars of the agreement is patient education and public health literacy. The partners will work together to provide modern, scientifically grounded, and accessible content to support early detection of cardiometabolic, oncological, and neurological diseases, while strengthening prevention efforts. A shared goal is to make knowledge about high-risk public health conditions widely available, empowering the public to actively participate in managing their own health. Supporting healthcare professionals is also a priority, ensuring that Hungarian doctors are among the first to learn about the latest research findings and therapeutic solutions. The third major area of the collaboration is exploring the potential of real-world data (RWD): how available Hungarian healthcare data can be used to advance research, improve the quality of care and support health policy decision-making.
“For Semmelweis University, it is of key importance to collaborate with global innovation leaders who embody scientific excellence and a patient-centered approach. It is our common goal to develop therapies, active substances, and medicines that make a real impact at the bedside and genuinely improve patients’ lives. In addition to its three core missions—education, research & innovation, and healthcare—our University also considers public health education a crucial responsibility, and in Lilly we have now gained an important new ally. Together, we work for people—for longer, healthier lives,” emphasized Prof. Dr. Béla Merkely, Rector of Semmelweis University.
“The Semmelweis University is a true regional knowledge hub – an institution whose impact and expertise extend far beyond Hungary. Lilly brings decades of pioneering work in cardiometabolic diseases and Alzheimer’s disease, but behind every innovation is always a person, a family, a life. We share the conviction that the value of innovation lies in truly improving patients’ daily lives. By combining our expertise, we can expand research, deepen clinical insights, and together find real solutions to the most pressing public health challenges, directly benefiting Hungarian patients and their families,” added Pawel Tokarzewski, country manager of Lilly Hungary.
Photo: Bálint Barta – Semmelweis University
