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LUNDBECK<br />

MAGAZINE<br />

09


LUNDBECK<br />

MAGAZINE<br />

09<br />

p6<br />

On behalf<br />

of the brain<br />

p10<br />

Now I dare myself to<br />

leave the house again


3<br />

Blood reveals psychiatric disorders 14<br />

Close to her heart 16<br />

Hoping for a lifebelt 20<br />

A laptop and a vacuum flask 26<br />

Danish-Japanese partnership – the American way 32<br />

In search of building blocks for the future 34<br />

Always one step ahead 36<br />

From genes to galaxies 40<br />

p22<br />

A job<br />

for specialists<br />

p28<br />

A career<br />

with global focus<br />

H. <strong>Lundbeck</strong> A/S<br />

Corporate Reporting<br />

Design: Bysted A/S<br />

Illustrations: Mads Berg<br />

PRINT: Quickly Tryk A/S<br />

TExT: Xenia Wieth: On behalf of the brain, A job for specialists, From genes to galaxies, A laptop and a vacuum<br />

flask, Blood reveals psychiatric disorders, Danish-Japanese partnership – the American way, In search of<br />

building blocks for the future, Now I dare myself to leave the house again.<br />

Elisabeth Poulsen: Close to her heart, A career with global focus, Always one step ahead, Hoping for a lifebelt.


specialister s22<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

5<br />

Worth<br />

fighting for<br />

We have made it our ambition to be the company that<br />

makes the biggest difference worldwide in the treatment<br />

of patients suffering from brain disorders<br />

rain disorders such as depression,<br />

schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s<br />

disease, to name but a few, inflict<br />

a huge amount of suffering on patients, as<br />

well as sorrow and despair on their relatives.<br />

Hundreds of millions of people in the world<br />

suffer from brain disorders. In spite of<br />

therapeutic progress, unfortunately, we remain<br />

a long way from fully understanding these<br />

disorders. There are immense unmet needs,<br />

not only for medication, but also for entire<br />

solutions in which therapy and updated<br />

information about the disorders are crucial<br />

factors.<br />

Unfortunately, public awareness and the resources<br />

spent on curing and alleviating brain disorders are<br />

a long way from matching the severity and<br />

consequences of these disorders. Brain disorders<br />

place an enormous economic burden on society<br />

because they reduce or eliminate the patient’s<br />

ability to work.<br />

At <strong>Lundbeck</strong>, we have made it our ambition<br />

to be the company that makes the biggest difference<br />

worldwide in the treatment of patients suffering<br />

from brain disorders. Assuming this responsibility<br />

is an enormous task, but it is also an incredible<br />

joy when we succeed in developing a new and<br />

innovative drug that benefits people worldwide.<br />

In this magazine, we present a cross section of<br />

our world. I hope you will find it a pleasure to<br />

read, and that it will provide insight into who<br />

we are and what <strong>Lundbeck</strong> stands for.<br />

Yours sincerely<br />

Ulf Wiinberg<br />

President & CEO<br />

PHOTO: Simon ladefoged


<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

7<br />

On behalf<br />

of the brain<br />

Throughout his career, Professor Jes Olesen has been<br />

championing the cause of more research in the diseases<br />

which are the most expensive to treat, and which have the<br />

most severe consequences for patients: brain diseases.<br />

The costs of brain diseases are as expensive for<br />

society as the combined costs of heart disease<br />

and cancer, not to mention the enormous<br />

suffering and poor quality of life experienced<br />

by the individual with a brain disease. Despite<br />

the fact that the figures have long since been<br />

documented, brain diseases remain at the back<br />

of the queue for money and attention.<br />

“The brain and the diseases that affect it have<br />

a huge image problem. In contrast to the heart,<br />

for example, it is not possible to feel one’s<br />

brain, despite the fact that the brain is the seat<br />

of the emotions which are traditionally<br />

ascribed to the heart, such as love and sorrow.<br />

The brain is responsible for everything that<br />

makes us human beings; it just has an<br />

incredibly bad press.”<br />

These are the words of a man who for decades<br />

has been struggling for the brain and brain<br />

diseases to be given attention corresponding<br />

to the burden they comprise for both the<br />

individual and society as a whole. Jes Olesen is<br />

a professor of Neurology, and is employed at<br />

the Glostrup Hospital in Copenhagen. His<br />

research has helped to clarify the mechanisms<br />

of migraine headache, and the fact that<br />

Glostrup Hospital is the world’s leading centre<br />

for research in headache is largely due to Jes<br />

Olesen’s efforts.<br />

Enormous need<br />

Jes Olesen is also the man behind the founding<br />

of the European Brain Council (EBC), an<br />

umbrella organization for scientific medical<br />

"The brain is responsible for everything<br />

that makes us human beings; it just has<br />

an incredibly bad press"<br />

societies, patient associations, basic<br />

neurological research and industry. EBC<br />

focuses on brain diseases including psychiatry,<br />

neurology and neurosurgery. Founded in 2002,<br />

the mission of the EBC is ‘to promote brain<br />

research in Europe and to improve the quality<br />

of life of those affected by brain diseases’. In<br />

Europe, 127 million persons have a brain<br />

disease, and the EBC endeavours to improve<br />

these persons’ situation through concentrating<br />

the collective efforts of scientists and laymen<br />

from this very wide field.<br />

“Several branches of medical science and<br />

many patient associations focus on brain<br />

diseases. There is very little tradition for<br />

collaboration between the individual branches.<br />

This is true all over Europe, not just in<br />

Denmark. It is a major problem in relation to<br />

being heard, as well as in relation to obtaining<br />

funds for research and treatment. And the<br />

need is enormous. Brain diseases comprise<br />

one-third of all illnesses, though if one<br />

considers the impact on the lives of individuals<br />

in terms of reduced working ability and quality<br />

of life, brain diseases are responsible for half of<br />

the burden which must be borne by society,”<br />

Jes Olesen states.<br />

PHOTO: Joachim ladefoged


8<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

"Health research is one of<br />

the most profitable activities<br />

a society can invest in"<br />

The European Brain Council<br />

The European Brain Council (EBC) is a<br />

coordinating council formed by European<br />

organizations in neurology, neurosurgery,<br />

psychiatry, basic brain research<br />

(neuroscience), as well as patient<br />

organisations and industry. The EBC<br />

was founded in 2002 in Brussels, and<br />

has offices in Brussels and Florence.<br />

www.europeanbraincouncil.org<br />

No public money for research<br />

Brain diseases are also costly for society. In<br />

fact, they cost as much as heart disease and<br />

cancer put together. In 2004, the cost of brain<br />

diseases in Europe was EUR 386 billion.<br />

“The figure comes from a study that I was<br />

involved in compiling. It revealed that brain<br />

diseases are both more expensive and have<br />

more far-reaching consequences than was<br />

previously thought. But if one looks at the<br />

amount of money that is actually used on<br />

brain research, it is as if this is forgotten.<br />

Migraine, which I specialize in, is a very<br />

expensive disease in socio-economic terms.<br />

It costs European countries EUR 27 billion<br />

annually, but there is almost no public money<br />

to research it. Among the more than 300 PhD<br />

scholarships recently awarded by the Danish<br />

Agency for Science, Technology and<br />

Innovation, there was not one single<br />

scholarship for brain research in Copenhagen.<br />

As a field of study, the brain is not nearly as<br />

prominent as it ought to be,” Jes Olesen says.<br />

High return on investment<br />

However, the EU Commission has in its<br />

Seventh Framework Programme given priority<br />

to brain research for the first time ever.<br />

“This is better than it has been, but I am<br />

disappointed that the strong wording has not<br />

resulted in a similar increase in funds. Health<br />

research is one of the most profitable activities<br />

a society can invest in, and it gives an<br />

enormously high return on investment,” adds<br />

Jes Olesen.<br />

Another problem is the lack of large and<br />

powerful patient organizations on a par with<br />

the Heart Association or the Cancer Society.<br />

“The area of brain diseases is poorly organized.<br />

In Denmark, we have 27 patient organizations<br />

that focus on brain-related issues, but there is<br />

a lack of collaboration between them and<br />

affected persons to lead out in efforts on<br />

behalf of the cause. Persons who have been<br />

cured of heart disease or cancer are frequently<br />

so grateful that they become involved in<br />

volunteer activities – and have the strength<br />

to do so. But no one wishes to step forward on<br />

the basis of a psychiatric diagnosis. In addition,<br />

brain diseases sap patients of their energy to<br />

the point where they must draw on their<br />

meagre reserves,” Jes Olesen explains.<br />

On the rise<br />

And the need for more knowledge and<br />

treatment will continue to rise. Brain diseases<br />

do not merely disappear. Dementia and<br />

migraine are both on the rise in the Western<br />

world, while the situation for psychiatric<br />

diseases is less clear. The only disease in which<br />

progress with certainty is being made is stroke.<br />

“That there are more persons with dementia is<br />

related to the fact that more people are living<br />

longer. But we have no idea why the incidence<br />

of migraine headache is rising. That the<br />

incidence of stroke is not rising by five per<br />

cent annually as statistics indicate it should, is<br />

probably due to better prevention in the form<br />

of medications that lower blood pressure and<br />

inhibit cholesterol formation. And also that we<br />

have become better at warning people to<br />

avoid alcohol and tobacco, or at least to keep<br />

down their consumption, which is also true in<br />

relation to some other brain diseases. Apart<br />

from that, the prevention of brain diseases is<br />

largely uninvestigated,” Jes Olesen says.<br />

PHOTO: Joachim ladefoged


10<br />

"The psychiatrist offered<br />

me medication, but I didn’t<br />

want it. I was only 17 at<br />

the time"


<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

11<br />

Now I dare myself to<br />

leave the house again<br />

Yolanda has suffered from depression since she was very<br />

young. But only now is she receiving the treatment that helps.<br />

Yolanda is 52 years of age and lives in Mexico<br />

City. She is the mother of three, and together<br />

with her husband she operates a small<br />

company that sells natural medicine.<br />

Yolanda was only a teenager when she had<br />

depression for the first time. At the time, she<br />

decided that she would manage without help<br />

– and certainly without medication.<br />

“I didn’t know any better, and for many years<br />

things went fairly well. But when my youngest<br />

son became ill, I went into severe depression,”<br />

Yolanda recounts. Her son was 16 years old<br />

when he began behaving violently towards the<br />

family.<br />

“It was especially towards his father and<br />

brother. I was the only one who could approach<br />

him. It culminated one day when he attempted<br />

to stab his father with a knife. We drove him to a<br />

psychiatric hospital where I knew some doctors.<br />

They discovered that our son had schizophrenia<br />

and kept him in hospital for a month. He had<br />

been aggressive ever since he was a small child,<br />

but we didn’t know why. We just thought he was<br />

a bit different,” Yolanda says.<br />

PHOTO: Joachim ladefoged


<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

13<br />

"I have depression and I<br />

am being treated for it"<br />

A long way to go<br />

Their son received treatment and began<br />

attending school again. And then his mother<br />

collapsed.<br />

“I refused to get up; I would not leave the<br />

house; I wept much of the time and felt utterly<br />

desolate. And I didn’t know what was wrong.<br />

I have always been a very strong and<br />

independent woman. Here in Mexico, women<br />

are responsible for the home, and we believe<br />

we can cope with anything. My husband said<br />

joking that, ‘it’s just not possible for you to get<br />

ill, because there’s no one to take care of you<br />

and the house.’ He could scarcely even<br />

recognize me,” Yolanda says.<br />

Her depression had returned and was worse<br />

than ever. She was admitted to hospital where<br />

her doctors succeeded in convincing her that<br />

she needed medication, and Yolanda has now<br />

been in treatment for approximately 18<br />

months. She is taking antidepressants and goes<br />

to therapy several times a week.<br />

“Now I am making progress. It is slow, I have a<br />

long way to go, and it is very hard work. Some<br />

days, life is both sad and painful, but I get up in<br />

the morning and do my work. And I dare<br />

myself to walk alone in the street again,”<br />

Yolanda says with a slight smile.<br />

Harsh childhood<br />

Yolanda’s son’s schizophrenia is not the only<br />

gloomy chapter in her life. Her story is a tale<br />

of a harsh childhood in one of the poor<br />

districts of Mexico City; a tale of abuse and<br />

repeated rapes, one of which resulted in her<br />

becoming pregnant at the age of 16.<br />

“I was determined to get out of that<br />

environment, and took a short secretarial<br />

course. When I became pregnant, I had to find<br />

a job to support myself and the child. I got a<br />

job with an art gallery, and the lady who<br />

owned it arranged for me to have therapy. The<br />

psychiatrist offered me medication as well, but<br />

I didn’t want it. I was only 17 at the time,”<br />

Yolanda continues.<br />

Felt a sense of guilt<br />

Later, she married and had two more children,<br />

even though she didn’t want to at the time.<br />

“Being raped had filled me with fear, and it was<br />

very difficult for me to care for my children.<br />

Merely touching them filled me with anxiety.<br />

When my youngest son became ill, I felt a<br />

terrible sense of guilt. I felt that it was my fault<br />

that he had schizophrenia. And that seriously<br />

exacerbated my depression,” Yolanda says.<br />

She now wishes that she had accepted the<br />

medication she was offered by doctors many<br />

years ago, and that people were better<br />

informed about psychiatric disorders.<br />

“When people say that I am neurotic or crazy,<br />

I reply that I have depression and that I am<br />

being treated for it. If people were better<br />

informed about psychiatric disorders, the<br />

world would look a lot different,” says Yolanda.<br />

FOTO: Joachim ladefoged


14<br />

Blood reveals<br />

psychiatric disorders<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> researchers seek new knowledge of depression<br />

biology in patient blood samples.


<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

15<br />

You go to the doctor, have a blood sample<br />

taken, and the result reveals if you are<br />

predisposed for developing depression later in<br />

your life. While this may sound like science<br />

fiction, it may not be many years before it<br />

becomes reality. Scientists at <strong>Lundbeck</strong><br />

Research USA in New Jersey are working<br />

towards a new means of diagnosing and<br />

treating depression, anxiety and a number of<br />

other brain disorders.<br />

“We are seeking to understand the basic<br />

mechanisms of depression with the aid of<br />

blood samples from patients who are receiving<br />

medical treatment,” says Irina Antonijevic,<br />

Psychiatrist and Director Translational Research<br />

at <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Research USA.<br />

Biomarkers in the blood<br />

“We observe how the medication affects<br />

specific biomarkers. We use this knowledge to<br />

attempt to understand the biology of the<br />

disorder, to enable us in future to develop<br />

better and more specific methods of treatment.<br />

At present, most patients with depression<br />

receive more or less the same treatment, which<br />

is not necessarily a good idea. There are simply<br />

no alternatives,” Irina states.<br />

Using biomarkers to clarify if a specific drug will<br />

benefit a specific patient is a new and groundbreaking<br />

view of treatment. Irina and her<br />

colleagues in both New Jersey and Valby<br />

primarily study biomarkers in the blood.<br />

“We are doing this, because blood samples<br />

are easy to obtain, and because there are<br />

standardized methods of preserving and<br />

measuring the messenger RNA (mRNA)<br />

content in blood. mRNA is an intermediate<br />

cellular product in the ‘translation’ of the<br />

genetic code into proteins, which is what we<br />

are studying in blood cells. It is still widely<br />

maintained that a disorder such as depression<br />

cannot be traced in the blood, but how do we<br />

know that? Depression clearly takes place in<br />

the brain, but then blood does flow through the<br />

brain,” Irina continues.<br />

High time<br />

“It is our theory that some critical changes we<br />

can measure in the blood also take place in the<br />

brain. We have begun using the method on<br />

blood samples from patients, and can already<br />

see different patterns in different groups of<br />

patients who all have depression or anxiety.<br />

Now we will attempt to find out if we can<br />

predict how patients with a specific mRNA<br />

profile will react to a specific treatment,” Irina<br />

explains.<br />

The hope is that it will someday be possible to<br />

predict which medication will work best on the<br />

individual patient on the basis of disease<br />

biology.<br />

“And it is high time that this happens. Doctors<br />

in the CNS field are now using substances that<br />

are based on discoveries made by sheer good<br />

luck. In some areas we have made very little<br />

progress during the last 50 years. The most we<br />

have done is to find medicines with fewer side<br />

effects. As a psychiatrist with many years of<br />

experience, it can make me very angry indeed<br />

when I consider the fact that we have no idea<br />

who will benefit from a drug and who will not,”<br />

Irina says.<br />

"What would make me happiest would<br />

be a totally new concept for a drug for<br />

treatment of a psychiatric disorder"<br />

Farewell to diagnoses<br />

She also hopes that the new knowledge will put<br />

an end to the current classification of diagnoses<br />

which, in her view, are both too general and too<br />

crude.<br />

“My dream is to change the whole system<br />

entirely, so biomarkers are used to diagnose<br />

patients. And that patients with the same<br />

biological deviation are treated in the same way,<br />

regardless of the diagnosis we may have given<br />

them. I would like to expand biomarker methods<br />

to include diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and<br />

schizophrenia and other CNS disorders. It is<br />

possible that the mRNA profiles of some<br />

patients with schizophrenia will resemble those<br />

of some patients who have depression. It may<br />

even prove to be possible to intervene with<br />

treatment when the first symptoms occur and<br />

prevent the disorder from developing, because it<br />

can be traced early on in the blood. We know<br />

that many adults who have depression have had<br />

anxiety as children or teenagers, and much<br />

evidence indicates that many brain disorders<br />

begin much earlier than has hitherto been<br />

thought.”<br />

From the clinic to the laboratory<br />

The work with biomarkers is also a step on the<br />

road towards translational medicine (TM), a<br />

concept which is currently high on the agenda<br />

of the pharmaceutical industry. TM involves<br />

transferring knowledge from work with patients<br />

in the clinical setting to cell and animal models<br />

in the laboratory.<br />

“We will use the information from patient’s<br />

blood in animal models, and study if the same<br />

biological changes take place in the animal. With<br />

time, this will give us a far better understanding<br />

of the mechanisms of the disorder we wish to<br />

treat. What would make me happiest would be a<br />

totally new concept for a drug for treatment of<br />

a psychiatric disorder: one that was developed<br />

on the basis of biological data from start to<br />

finish. Perhaps it will one day be possible to<br />

predict the risk of individuals developing<br />

depression and other CNS disorders and diseases<br />

on the basis of merely a blood sample. That<br />

would be wonderful,” says Irina Antonijevic.<br />

PHOTO: Joachim ladefoged


16 <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

Close to<br />

her heart<br />

The ratio of elderly persons in China is rising rapidly, and 30<br />

years from now the country will have as many persons with<br />

dementia as in the entire rest of the developed world.<br />

Professor Zhang Zhen-Xin is one of China’s<br />

leading neurologists who specialize in<br />

Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. As a<br />

professor at Beijing Union Medical College<br />

Hospital, she has studied Alzheimer’s untiringly<br />

for more than 40 years. She feels that it is her<br />

responsibility to increase knowledge and<br />

awareness of the disease as well as the<br />

treatment for it. Because Professor Zhang is<br />

convinced that treating Alzheimer’s is<br />

definitely worth while.<br />

“I have patients who have been treated for<br />

more than 10 years, and who with the aid of<br />

medicine can still communicate and perform<br />

daily tasks when they have the right help,”<br />

Zhang Zhen-Xin says. As adviser to the Chinese<br />

health authority SFDA, she is also one of the<br />

leading experts in the newly-established<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Institute in China.<br />

“China has a rapidly aging population. Thirty<br />

years from now, the country will have just as<br />

many persons with dementia as there are in<br />

the entire rest of the developed world. Our<br />

government is aware of the problem, which is<br />

sometimes referred to as a ticking bomb,” says<br />

Professor Zhang.<br />

“Parkinson’s has been in focus for some time,”<br />

she adds, “because several of our political<br />

leaders – including Deng Xiao-Ping – had the<br />

disease. But it was commonly thought that the<br />

incidence of Alzheimer’s was significantly<br />

lower in China than in the rest of the world.”<br />

5.8 per cent have Alzheimer’s<br />

Zhang Zhen-Xin helped disprove the myth<br />

when she headed an epidemiological study of<br />

the incidence of dementia in a number of<br />

cities and rural areas in China. The study, which<br />

took six years and included 40,000 persons, is<br />

one of the most comprehensive in the world,<br />

and clearly showed that the incidence of<br />

dementia in China is on a par with that in the<br />

rest of the world’s population. The study shows<br />

that 5.8 per cent of the population above the<br />

age of 65 develop Alzheimer’s.<br />

“Dementia and Alzheimer’s used to be<br />

considered a natural result of old age. And<br />

even now, very few are diagnosed or treated<br />

for the disease by a doctor. This is changing,<br />

however. Especially in wealthy cities such as<br />

Shanghai, the ratio of persons who seek<br />

treatment is on the rise. And this despite the<br />

fact that most people have to pay every yuan<br />

themselves. There is no government<br />

reimbursement for medication for dementia.”<br />

China has a long tradition in herbal medicine.<br />

And while professor Zhang does not dismiss<br />

traditional medicine across the board, she does<br />

believe it is often fraudulent when elderly<br />

persons pay thousands of yuan for a small<br />

amount of herbal medicine. And she<br />

underscores the fact that most Chinese<br />

consumers now prefer Western<br />

pharmaceuticals, of whose efficacy has been<br />

scientifically established.<br />

Sons care for their parents<br />

Zhang Zhen-Xin spent time in rural areas<br />

where she literally went from bed to bed<br />

visiting patients during the course of one of<br />

her studies in the late 1990s.<br />

“Conditions were often deplorable. In China,<br />

the sons traditionally care for their parents. If<br />

there are several sons, they care for their<br />

parents in turn. Especially in poor rural areas,<br />

however, there is little sympathy for persons<br />

with dementia, and they risk being turned out<br />

if caring for them becomes too difficult.<br />

Persons with dementia often die within a few<br />

years due to malnutrition, pneumonia and<br />

poor care.”<br />

“This situation has improved, especially among<br />

well-educated people in the cities – first and<br />

foremost due to the improved economy. The<br />

PHOTO: Simon ladefoged


"It is not true when<br />

people say that there is<br />

no treatment for<br />

Alzheimer’s disease,<br />

because there is"<br />

17


<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

19<br />

health system is also being expanded, though<br />

at present only highly-placed government<br />

employees have full coverage. The rural<br />

population has no coverage whatsoever, but<br />

political initiatives have now been taken to<br />

provide a certain amount of health insurance<br />

coverage for agricultural labourers.”<br />

“Nursing homes are now also available,<br />

especially in the cities, but they are expensive.<br />

People who can afford to do so, employ a<br />

person to care for their parents. An example of<br />

this would be modern families who are fully<br />

occupied by their work,” Zhang says, adding<br />

that the one-child policy makes it increasingly<br />

essential for the government to solve the<br />

problem of the rising numbers of elderly<br />

persons with dementia. The care burden is<br />

simply becoming too great.<br />

An important role for <strong>Lundbeck</strong><br />

The task of getting government authorities to<br />

provide support for treatment of dementia in<br />

future is very close to Professor Zhang’s heart.<br />

The same is true of increasing knowledge and<br />

awareness of the disease among doctors,<br />

families and friends.<br />

“The <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Institute plays an important<br />

role in that respect. Its activities will enable us<br />

together to spread knowledge of the disease<br />

and treatment for it to doctors throughout<br />

China. I am very impressed by <strong>Lundbeck</strong> –<br />

particularly by the fact that the company does<br />

not think merely in terms of commercial<br />

interests – but has a long-term view to<br />

improving quality of life for patients, as well<br />

as their family and friends. Doctors and the<br />

pharmaceutical industry have many common<br />

interests. And we can help a lot of people by<br />

working together,” Zhang Zhen-Xin states. She<br />

has also received support for her research from<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong>.<br />

In addition to looking after her patients at<br />

Beijing Union Medical College Hospital, she<br />

is an untiring lecturer and instructor – not just<br />

in China, but also at the international level<br />

where her comprehensive knowledge is highly<br />

respected.<br />

The same is true among her patients. On<br />

display in her office, one can see several gifts<br />

from grateful patients whom she has treated<br />

for Alzheimer’s. “Thank you for adding a year<br />

to my life,” says one of the New Year’s<br />

greetings she has received.<br />

“And that warms my heart,” Professor Zhang<br />

says.<br />

“It is not true when people say that there<br />

is no treatment for Alzheimer’s disease,”<br />

she adds, “because there is. We only have<br />

to persevere in making government officials<br />

and the general public aware of the fact that<br />

treating Alzheimer’s is truly worth while.<br />

We can make a difference.”<br />

New <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Institute in China<br />

In December 2008, <strong>Lundbeck</strong> opened<br />

The <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Institute, China. Based in<br />

Beijing, the Institute will work to spread<br />

knowledge of CNS disorders among<br />

doctors and patient associations in China.<br />

The aim is to contribute to improving<br />

quality of life for persons with psychiatric<br />

or neurological disorders.<br />

Like The <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Institute in Denmark,<br />

the Institute in China will help establish<br />

the <strong>Lundbeck</strong> name as a research-based<br />

company that specializes in CNS. The<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Institute in Denmark has<br />

held courses on depression, anxiety,<br />

schizophrenia and dementia for more<br />

than 4000 specialists from around the<br />

world since it was founded.<br />

The Institute in Beijing intends to hold<br />

courses for Chinese specialists conducted<br />

by specialists from China. The newly<br />

established Institute has therefore allied<br />

itself with a number of key opinion<br />

leaders in the fields of psychiatry and<br />

neurology.<br />

PHOTO: Simon ladefoged


20 <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

Hoping<br />

for a lifebelt<br />

Mehmet Cengiz has had Parkinson’s disease for six years. His<br />

health condition has gradually worsened, and his hopes are now<br />

pinned on scientists discovering a new drug for the disease.<br />

Mehmet Cengiz’s face lights up despite his<br />

serious condition when he speaks of his hope<br />

in the progress of research in Parkinson’s<br />

disease. He became ill six years ago, and now,<br />

at the age of 48, his illness has progressed to<br />

a stage that occasionally makes it difficult for<br />

him to walk and speak. He still works, but as<br />

the disease progresses, working is becoming<br />

more and more difficult. He no longer dares<br />

to make plans for the future, but is still<br />

hoping that scientists will discover new<br />

medications and new forms of treatment that<br />

can combat the disease and improve his<br />

quality of life. This is one of the things that<br />

keep him going.<br />

Dropped the salt<br />

It all began six years ago with a tingling in his<br />

left arm.<br />

“I dropped the salt I had in my fingers, and my<br />

friends asked why I held my left arm against<br />

my body in such a strange way,” Mehmet<br />

Cengiz recalls, sitting at home in his flat in<br />

Istanbul. He thought that a nerve in his arm<br />

had been damaged.<br />

But there was nothing wrong with his nerves.<br />

Instead, a doctor asked him if he had ever<br />

heard of Parkinson’s disease.<br />

“I had no idea what it was, and I was shocked<br />

when I was given the diagnosis. It is difficult and<br />

very alarming to learn that one has a chronic<br />

and incurable disease.” Mehmet Cengiz says.<br />

At home, he began searching the Internet to find<br />

out more about the disease, and discovered that<br />

he was far from alone. Among famous<br />

Parkinson’s patients, he discovered names such<br />

as Pope John Paul II, Bülent Ecevit,the former<br />

Prime Minister of Turkey, the actor Michael J.<br />

Fox, and the boxer Muhammad Ali.<br />

Involuntary isolation<br />

Even though he shares the diagnosis with<br />

approximately 0.2 per cent of the population in<br />

Turkey and the rest of the world, his illness has<br />

still sent him into a form of involuntary<br />

isolation. He used to travel frequently and often<br />

spent time with friends and family. But he rarely<br />

goes out anymore, primarily because he<br />

sometimes has difficulty walking and speaking,<br />

and easily becomes tired. But also because he<br />

feels that people stare at him.<br />

In addition to decreased mobility and tremors in<br />

the hands, another typical symptom is loss of<br />

facial expression. This means that others have<br />

difficulty in interpreting the expressions on one’s<br />

face, and sometimes think that one is displeased<br />

or angry when this is not at all the case.<br />

“My family have grown accustomed to it, but it<br />

is more difficult with friends and acquaintances.<br />

I still feel that they stare at me,” Mehmet Cengiz<br />

says. For this reason, he prefers to stay at home<br />

in the flat with his wife and daughter.<br />

“It would be good if ordinary people knew more<br />

about Parkinson’s disease. I am continually asked<br />

to explain what Parkinson’s disease is, and I<br />

don’t always feel like doing it or have the energy<br />

to do so,” he says. Parkinson’s patients in Turkey<br />

do not yet have an association that can help<br />

spread knowledge of the disease.<br />

Recently, however, Mehmet Cengiz has improved<br />

a great deal, due to a new combination of<br />

medicine. This has given him the courage to go<br />

out again and to get some exercise. His wife has<br />

also given up her job so she can help him in his<br />

store where he sells electric cables.<br />

“My neurologist could hardly believe her eyes<br />

when she saw me a few days ago,” Mehmet<br />

Cengiz recalls with satisfaction in his voice.<br />

Medically, he feels that he is in good hands, and<br />

the national health system also pays for his<br />

medicine.<br />

So, even though he takes one day at a time, the<br />

new treatment has given Mehmet Cengiz a ray<br />

of hope for himself and for the future.<br />

PHOTO: Simon ladefoged


"For me, any new form of<br />

treatment would be like getting<br />

a lifebelt in a storm at sea"<br />

21


<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

23<br />

A job<br />

for specialists<br />

Professor Markku Kaste has placed Finland among the<br />

world’s leading nations in treatment of stroke.<br />

No one wants to suffer a stroke. But if<br />

Professor Markku Kaste were to have one, he<br />

knows where he would want to be treated: in<br />

Finland.<br />

Here, it was recognized 30 years ago that<br />

stroke requires treatment by specialists.<br />

Finnish stroke patients are therefore always<br />

sent to the nearest large hospital that has<br />

expertise in neurology. Hospitals with<br />

neurological expertise are the only places that<br />

have the broad professional basis necessary for<br />

providing optimal treatment. When a resident<br />

of Helsinki suffers a stroke – and there are<br />

approximately 2000 incidences of stroke<br />

annually in the Finnish capital – the special<br />

neurological emergency room and the acute<br />

stroke unit at Helsinki University Central<br />

Hospital, HUCH, in Meilahti where Markku<br />

Kaste works – is ready and waiting when the<br />

ambulance arrives.<br />

Call centre 112 and ambulance personnel are<br />

trained to recognize the symptoms so they are<br />

able to alert the stroke team to be prepared,<br />

and the patient is met by a stroke neurologist,<br />

a stroke nurse and a laboratory technician as it<br />

enters the doors to the hospital. The laboratory<br />

technician is ready to take blood samples, and<br />

following a quick neurological examination,<br />

Facts about stroke Stroke is an acute bleeding (hemorrhagic stroke) or blood clot in the brain artery<br />

(ischemic stroke). In ischemic stroke the supply of oxygen to an area of the brain fails, and the brain<br />

cells die. Depending where in the brain the damage takes place, one’s capability to move one’s arm<br />

and leg can be lost on the opposite side of the body. If the centres that control speech and language<br />

are affected, one can lose the ability to speak and to understand language.<br />

Stroke is the most frequent cause of permanent invalidity in both Europe and the United States. At the<br />

global level, stroke is currently the second-most frequent cause of death, and the number of people<br />

affected by stroke is rising as population is aging, and the risk of suffering a stroke increases with age.<br />

the patient is placed in a CT scanner, and in<br />

which the patient’s name has already been<br />

entered following a prehospital warning call<br />

made by the ambulance personnel. When<br />

appropriate, the patient is treated with a drug<br />

that dissolves the blood clot in the brain artery<br />

immediately after being scanned.<br />

City council saw the light<br />

Rapid and competent intervention is vital if a<br />

patient is to survive and return home or in a<br />

nursing home when treatment is finished. The<br />

credit for Finland’s stroke alert must be given<br />

to Markku Kaste. As a specialist in neurology,<br />

he has for years been fighting for optimal<br />

treatment for everyone who suffers a stroke –<br />

also patients in the scarcely populated areas of<br />

the country.<br />

“Until a task force of the National Board of<br />

Health in 1989 recommended that all stroke<br />

patients should be treated by neurologists at<br />

large regional hospitals, stroke patients were<br />

treated in medical wards, which I perceived as<br />

a poor idea already as a young neurologist.<br />

Neurologists are the ones who know the most<br />

about the brain, just as cardiologists are the<br />

ones who know the most about the heart.<br />

PHOTO: Joachim ladefoged


24 <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

"Unfortunately, there are<br />

still major differences in the<br />

treatment on offer to patients in<br />

different countries in Europe"<br />

Everyone agrees that patients with a<br />

myocardial infarct should be treated by<br />

cardiologists, but the attitude was that anyone<br />

could treat stroke patients,” Markku Kaste says.<br />

When he was able to document on the basis<br />

of a study that stroke patients who had been<br />

treated by neurologists were able to leave<br />

hospital 16 days earlier than those treated in<br />

other wards, and that more were discharged to<br />

their own homes and were also better able to<br />

care for themselves without help, the Helsinki<br />

City Council saw the light. That happened in<br />

1995. The stroke unit at HUCH Meilahti<br />

hospital has since treated all acute stroke<br />

patients in Helsinki. The experience gained in<br />

acute care of stroke has been formulated as<br />

European guidelines. The recommendations,<br />

previously written by a task force of the<br />

European Stroke Initiative (EUSI) and later on<br />

by the European Stroke Organisation (ESO),<br />

both of which Markku Kaste helped found, are<br />

available in multiple languages.<br />

Four out of ten neglected<br />

“Unfortunately, there are still major differences<br />

in the treatment on offer to patients in<br />

different countries in Europe. Recently we<br />

asked 4261 randomly selected hospitals<br />

throughout the EU about their treatment of<br />

stroke, and the results were shocking. Only one<br />

out of seven patients – between 13 and 14 per<br />

cent – were treated as recommended by WHO<br />

i.e. in a stroke unit at a university hospital or<br />

other well equipped hospital, which has<br />

neurologists, cardiologists, neurosurgeons,<br />

vascular surgeons, and a CT scanner that is<br />

manned 24 hours a day. Forty-four per cent<br />

receive acceptable treatment, generally at<br />

large hospital centres. But the remaining 42<br />

per cent are treated in hospitals that lack both<br />

equipment and experience. And this happens<br />

in rich countries as well as in poor. This is not<br />

only appalling for patients, it is also costly for<br />

society,” Markku Kaste says.<br />

Too weak to bang on the table<br />

Stroke is an illness which costs society a lot<br />

of money. “In Finland, caring for a patient in<br />

a nursing home costs EUR 50,000 per year.<br />

As strokes generally occur in persons between<br />

the ages of 60 and 70, their life expectancy is<br />

higher than, for example, persons with<br />

dementia, who are usually older when they<br />

enter a nursing home. Stroke is exceedingly<br />

expensive for society, but those who have<br />

suffered a stroke are too weak to bang on<br />

the table and demand better treatment. This<br />

makes it important to prevent the illness –<br />

also from an economic point of view,”<br />

Professor Kaste continues.<br />

The factors that can cause stroke are the same<br />

as those that can cause cardiovascular<br />

diseases: high blood pressure, high cholesterol,<br />

obesity, smoking, high alcohol consumption<br />

and lack of physical exercise.<br />

Quick treatment makes the difference<br />

“It is therefore possible to do something<br />

oneself, and prevention is of course the best<br />

mode of action. But for those who suffer a<br />

stroke anyway, it is important for society to<br />

invest in stroke units where it is possible to<br />

obtain the best possible treatment, which<br />

increases the likelihood of good recovery. With<br />

the present drugs for dissolving blood clots, we<br />

consider it possible to save many patients up<br />

until four and a half hours of the time of the<br />

symptom onset and in some patients even<br />

after longer time before irreversible damage<br />

occurs. We are currently investigating a new<br />

drug which may give us as much as nine hours,<br />

and thus more time to get patients to<br />

hospitals that can provide the right treatment.<br />

Some patients cannot tolerate drugs that solve<br />

the blood clot, which occludes the brain artery,<br />

for example if they have very high blood<br />

pressure or internal bleeding. But quick arrival<br />

at the hospital and appropriate treatment<br />

benefit all patients. Competent intervention by<br />

a wide spectrum of specialists reduces the risk<br />

of the patient dying or becoming helpless and<br />

requiring care. Quick and correct treatment is<br />

good for the individual patient, and a major<br />

economic benefit for society,” says Professor<br />

Markku Kaste.<br />

PHOTO: Joachim ladefoged


<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magasinet 2009<br />

25


26<br />

"I have been involved all the<br />

way from oldfashioned<br />

psychiatry to the present, and<br />

a great deal of progress has<br />

been made during that time"<br />

Sales rep Thorfinn Nygård drives 50,000 km per year<br />

on the roads in northernmost Norway.


<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

27<br />

A laptop<br />

and a vacuum flask<br />

Throughout his 14 years as a sales rep for <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Norway,<br />

he has been braving snowstorms and high water to reach<br />

doctors and give them the most recent knowledge on<br />

psychiatric disorders and the possibilities of treating them.<br />

In the village in Norway where Thorfinn<br />

Nygård grew up in the years after WWII, there<br />

was a special way of expressing that someone<br />

had been admitted to hospital with a<br />

psychiatric disorder. When someone had been<br />

led to hospital, it was understood that it might<br />

be some time before one saw the person again.<br />

Indeed, one might never see them again.<br />

Since then, the possibilities of treating these<br />

disorders have improved a great deal. And<br />

Thorfinn has contributed to people in all of<br />

northern Norway being able to obtain help if<br />

they become affected by a psychiatric<br />

disorder.<br />

Largest district<br />

Thorfinn travels 50,000 km a year in his 4WD,<br />

accompanied by a vacuum flask of hot coffee<br />

and music or reading on the CD player. And<br />

this does not include air travel and trips in<br />

hired cars.<br />

“I visit doctors in an area stretching from just<br />

south of Trondheim to Narvik in the north, a<br />

distance of nearly 1200 km. No other reps<br />

cover such a large area, and it is necessary to<br />

be well acquainted with both the district and<br />

ferry schedules to keep one’s appointments.<br />

Otherwise, one won’t be in the right place at<br />

the right time,” says Thorfinn, who over the<br />

year is in contact with approximately 1000<br />

GPs as well as a number of specialists.<br />

He sees working with doctors as a form of<br />

collaboration.<br />

“I don’t have a single pill in my briefcase, only<br />

information. My most important sales tools<br />

are myself and my laptop. Every day is a<br />

challenge, because doctors are busy and it can<br />

be difficult to engage them in conversation.<br />

Many of my appointments take place during<br />

doctors’ lunch hour, so I take food along, and<br />

then the doctor has time to chat. I have known<br />

some of the doctors for decades, and that is an<br />

advantage. Personal acquaintance means a<br />

lot,” Thorfinn says.<br />

Major progress<br />

He has observed developments in psychiatry<br />

at close hand for more than 40 years, ever<br />

since he was employed as a carer at a<br />

psychiatric hospital in 1968. Thorfinn later<br />

became a nurse, leaving the public health<br />

system in 1988 for a job in the pharmaceutical<br />

industry at a Danish company then known as<br />

Dumex. He was headhunted by <strong>Lundbeck</strong><br />

Norway in 1995.<br />

“I have been involved all the way from oldfashioned<br />

psychiatry to the present, and a<br />

great deal of progress has been made during<br />

that time. When the first neuroleptics were<br />

introduced in the 1950s, it emerged that very<br />

little was known about either the medications<br />

themselves or correct doses. The drugs were<br />

simply given to patients until their skin turned<br />

yellow. Then the organism was saturated and<br />

reduction could begin. The side effects were<br />

severe. The patients were exhausted, and the<br />

medication affected their cognitive abilities.<br />

Today, we fortunately have drugs with far<br />

fewer side effects,” Thorfinn states.<br />

Among the eldest<br />

He has long since celebrated his 60th birthday,<br />

and is thus one of the eldest <strong>Lundbeck</strong> sales<br />

reps. But Thorfinn is not finished with life on<br />

the steep and crooked roads.<br />

“For me, working with a company that has<br />

helped improve treatment of persons with<br />

psychiatric disorders has been very fulfilling.<br />

I have seen what it was like before – how few<br />

options were available. This is what drives me<br />

forward and keeps me going,” Thorfinn<br />

remarks.<br />

PHOTO: Simon ladefoged


28 <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

A career<br />

with global focus<br />

Her career with <strong>Lundbeck</strong> has to date led Italian-Canadian<br />

Lorena Di Carlo across the Atlantic from Montreal to<br />

Copenhagen, and then down under to Sydney.<br />

Lorena Di Carlo had only been with <strong>Lundbeck</strong><br />

Canada as a CNS Specialist for six months<br />

when she took on the role of Associate<br />

Product Manager with responsibility for the<br />

nation-wide launch of Celexa®/Cipramil®. The<br />

ensuing launch became the most successful<br />

introduction of a new antidepressant on the<br />

Canadian market, with <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Canada<br />

experiencing almost explosive growth.<br />

“We were 10 employees when I was hired in<br />

1995, and 140 a couple of years later,” Lorena<br />

recalls, admitting that she knew only very little<br />

about <strong>Lundbeck</strong> when she was hired and met<br />

with the words: “Welcome to <strong>Lundbeck</strong>. You’re<br />

our first staff member in North America.” At<br />

that time she had been working three years in<br />

sales. Lorena was enthusiastic about being part<br />

of the founding team of a new company in<br />

Canada whose mission is to improve the<br />

quality of life of people with psychiatric and<br />

neurological disorders. Her career took off<br />

immediately, and she became Vice President of<br />

Marketing at <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Canada before her<br />

career led her to Denmark and, most recently,<br />

to Sydney in Australia.<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> gave me the chance<br />

“The values first led me to <strong>Lundbeck</strong> and has<br />

kept me with the company over the years –<br />

primarily because being imaginative,<br />

responsible and never giving up are values that<br />

are entirely compatible with my own. I am very<br />

result oriented and I am fully committed to<br />

PHOTO: Simon ladefoged


<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

31<br />

"Experience has taught me not to<br />

engage in comparisons of how things are<br />

done ‘at home’. Being openminded and<br />

appreciative is the best approach"<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong>’s vision of being the world leader<br />

in CNS. My contribution has always been<br />

appreciated and I really do feel that as part<br />

of a wider team, I am helping to make a<br />

difference. In addition, there is the willingness<br />

to take a chance. <strong>Lundbeck</strong> took a chance with<br />

me by giving me the opportunity to launch<br />

Celexa®/Cipramil® early in my career, and I<br />

appreciate that.”<br />

Since then, <strong>Lundbeck</strong> has become an<br />

international company with 55 subsidiaries<br />

around the world.<br />

“<strong>Lundbeck</strong> has progressed from having a<br />

mainly European focus to being an<br />

international company, and is well on its way<br />

to becoming a global leader in CNS. What I<br />

value most about the scope of my role is that,<br />

on the one hand, I know each and every one of<br />

my reps, and as a subsidiary we have room for<br />

flexibility and individual ideas. On the other<br />

hand, I have colleagues all over the world, and<br />

am constantly aware of our global focus,” says<br />

Lorena, who holds a Degree in Marketing and<br />

an MBA in International Business. She was also<br />

a member of the Strategic Marketing Team for<br />

six months in Valby and is a long-time member<br />

of the Global Brand Board which meets twice a<br />

year to provide input on global marketing<br />

initiatives. She is now located on the other<br />

side of the globe in Sydney where she has<br />

been Sales and Marketing Manager of<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Australia for one year.<br />

Tri-cultural<br />

“Having grown up in French-speaking Montreal<br />

with Italian parents, I am naturally tri-cultural,<br />

so I find it easy to adapt to new cultures. And<br />

even though Australia is a Western culture,<br />

there are still many nuances. Experience has<br />

taught me not to engage in comparisons of<br />

how things are done ‘at home’. Being openminded<br />

and appreciative is the best approach.”<br />

Lorena likes living down under, where she<br />

heads a group of some 60 staff members.<br />

“Australia is a very interesting market. It is very<br />

thoroughly regulated and has lots of obstacles,<br />

but once one gains a foothold, it is very<br />

attractive. <strong>Lundbeck</strong> is well regarded by<br />

physicians, and Australia is among the largests<br />

markets for Lexapro®/Cipralex®, despite the<br />

fact that the country has only 21 million<br />

inhabitants.”<br />

Global network<br />

Thanks to her <strong>Lundbeck</strong> network, Lorena had<br />

friends in Australia from the day she arrived.<br />

“After almost 15 years with <strong>Lundbeck</strong>, I have<br />

an extensive network all over the world.<br />

Professionally, it is fantastically beneficial to<br />

be able to phone a colleague in Spain to learn<br />

how they have solved a problem, but it is also<br />

personally rewarding. People have a tendency<br />

to stay with <strong>Lundbeck</strong>, and colleagues turn<br />

into friends.”<br />

“I really enjoy the Australian outdoor culture.<br />

I run, I recently started cycling, and I have a<br />

swimming coach. My aim is to do a triathlon<br />

before the end of the year. I ran my first<br />

marathon in Chicago 18 months ago. Apart<br />

from that, I have also tried surfing, but after<br />

the shark attacks of recent months, I may well<br />

decide to relent on my motto: never give up!”<br />

How long do you intend to stay in Australia<br />

before you move on in your career?<br />

“I will certainly stay until I finish my<br />

assignment. What happens after that will<br />

depend on where my skills are best suited and<br />

needed,” Lorena replies with a smile. “I am<br />

open to anything that will contribute to the<br />

company’s success and help me continue to<br />

develop and learn, no matter where in the<br />

world it might be.”<br />

PHOTO: Simon ladefoged


32<br />

Danish-Japanese partnership<br />

– the American way<br />

Antidepressants of the future are being developed jointly<br />

by <strong>Lundbeck</strong> and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company.


<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

33<br />

In 2007, <strong>Lundbeck</strong> entered into a strategic<br />

alliance with Takeda, Japan’s largest<br />

pharmaceutical company. The partnership<br />

involves further development of a new series<br />

of compounds for treatment of disorders such<br />

as depression and anxiety, as well as marketing<br />

of the finished drugs in Japan and the United<br />

States.<br />

The substances, which were discovered by<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong>, belong to a totally new<br />

pharmacological class of drugs. It is expected<br />

that these drugs will be superior to current<br />

antidepressants in a number of areas.<br />

Researchers from <strong>Lundbeck</strong> in Denmark are<br />

participating in the development activities,<br />

together with Takeda’s US subsidiary, Takeda<br />

Global Research & Development Center, Inc.<br />

located at Deerfield, Illinois, near Chicago.<br />

At least once a month, Marianne Dragheim,<br />

Senior Specialist and Medical Doctor, boards<br />

an aeroplane for Chicago to meet with her<br />

colleagues at Takeda. Marianne is in charge of<br />

the clinical aspects of the project at <strong>Lundbeck</strong>,<br />

and sees clear advantages in the alliance with<br />

our Japanese partner.<br />

Ambitious plan<br />

“Without our partnership with Takeda, we<br />

would not have advanced to the current stage.<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> would not have been able to do it<br />

alone, as we have neither the resources nor the<br />

necessary staff. <strong>Lundbeck</strong> has the know-how<br />

and Takeda has the resources for developing<br />

drugs to treat disorders of the central nervous<br />

system. This is why companies form strategic<br />

alliances; a company needs a partner to help<br />

bear part of the burden. We have had a clear<br />

vision of what we want to do from the very<br />

beginning – and a very ambitious schedule for<br />

the project. I think Takeda thought we were<br />

a bit mad when we first showed it to them,”<br />

Marianne says.<br />

Amazed and fascinated<br />

Atul Mahableshwarkar, Senior Medical Director<br />

with Takeda and psychiatrist by training, is in<br />

charge of the clinical aspects of the project.<br />

He, and others were hired by Takeda to work<br />

with <strong>Lundbeck</strong> on this project. Atul clearly<br />

remembers his initial reaction on being<br />

introduced to it for the first time.<br />

“I was amazed at both the scope and the<br />

time horizon, but now I am fascinated by<br />

how well it has gone. Merely developing an<br />

antidepressant for multiple indications –<br />

depression and anxiety – at the same time is<br />

new and has not been done simultaneously<br />

before. In fact, one of our key opinion leaders<br />

has suggested that we publish a report on our<br />

work, once the substances are on the market,<br />

because this is something we can be proud of,<br />

and it can be used as an example of how to do<br />

things correctly,” Atul says.<br />

Learning from each other<br />

Transatlantic collaboration requires planning,<br />

but it is worth the effort, he believes.<br />

“We come from our own two cultures, so we<br />

approach things in different ways. Our various<br />

backgrounds enhance our perspective of<br />

developing pharmaceuticals. One of the major<br />

benefits of our collaboration is being able<br />

to draw on our wide ranges of experience.<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> has developed many other drugs<br />

for use in the CNS field. Takeda's contribution<br />

is our experience in developing drugs in<br />

the United States. In addition to my drug<br />

development experience, I personally have<br />

treated thousands of persons for depression.<br />

Moreover, <strong>Lundbeck</strong> and Takeda both have<br />

experience in their various markets.<br />

Registering a drug with the U.S. Food and<br />

Drug Administration (FDA) is different than<br />

registering with the European Medicines<br />

Agency (EMEA). We learn from each other<br />

all the time, and I have benefited from working<br />

with my <strong>Lundbeck</strong> colleagues. Of course there<br />

are challenges in combining two different<br />

corporate cultures and ways of working, but we<br />

have a common goal of which we are aligned<br />

around,” Atul states.<br />

Mutual values<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> and Takeda are jointly responsible<br />

for the project.<br />

“All decisions are made jointly, and we must<br />

always concur in major decisions. Working<br />

together also enables us to use our resources<br />

better. And while we are pressed for time,<br />

everyone is very committed and in total<br />

agreement on the goal. Not all companies are<br />

like that, but <strong>Lundbeck</strong> and Takeda are similar in<br />

this respect. There are people on both sides of<br />

the Atlantic who have been working very hard<br />

for a very long time. This is true of everyone<br />

who is involved in the project, not just the front<br />

figures. Staff members grow with a project<br />

when they are included the way they are at<br />

both Takeda and <strong>Lundbeck</strong>,” Marianne says.<br />

Looking forward to approval<br />

She thrives under pressure.<br />

“I am happiest when all the odds are against us.<br />

But if I had to do it again, I would probably try<br />

to ensure that we had more of the necessary<br />

resources,” says Marianne.<br />

Atul is looking forward to seeing the first<br />

substances approved as drugs in Europe and the<br />

United States during the coming years.<br />

“And I would be incredibly happy if I sometime<br />

in future – perhaps 15 years from now – could<br />

say that millions of people’s lives are better<br />

because of the work we have done together.<br />

That is my motivating force,” says Atul.<br />

PHOTO: Joachim ladefoged


<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

35<br />

Tommy Skovby is a chemical engineer at the <strong>Lundbeck</strong><br />

synthesis factory at Lumsås where he chairs a project that is<br />

to prepare the way for an entirely new way of manufacturing<br />

pharmaceuticals.<br />

As the author of a dissertation on aromatics for<br />

use in the food industry, Tommy Skovby’s<br />

education actually prepared him for a different<br />

line of work. But ever since he began working in<br />

the Quality Department at the Lumsås factory<br />

nine years ago, he has focused on production of<br />

pharmaceuticals. Tommy is deeply involved at<br />

present in a project that, in the foreseeable future,<br />

will change pharmaceutical production as we<br />

know it.<br />

The current method of manufacturing drugs is on<br />

the way to being replaced by a new process which<br />

is fundamentally different, and <strong>Lundbeck</strong> is at the<br />

forefront of developments.<br />

Known as continuous production, the method is<br />

new to the pharmaceutical world, though it has<br />

for many years been used by refineries and<br />

chemical industries. Instead of producing large<br />

amounts of a product in batches and closing<br />

down the production line between each batch,<br />

the new method involves manufacturing only<br />

small amounts on a production line that is in<br />

continuous operation. The process is monitored at<br />

strategic points along the way, enabling errors to<br />

be isolated. An entire production system takes up<br />

only a fraction of the space required for current<br />

systems, and is also cheaper and safer for<br />

employees to operate.<br />

Financial necessity<br />

Small-scale continuous production saves money<br />

in several ways, such as power bills.<br />

“With our current method, we heat up a steel<br />

reactor weighing a couple of tons and then cool it<br />

down again several times during a production<br />

process. In future, we will achieve the same result<br />

with a small steel box at only a fraction of the<br />

cost. The systems are so small that it is possible to<br />

have 10 reactors in a space the size of a family<br />

sitting room. A system of this kind saves money<br />

on both heating and ventilation, and we will be<br />

able to increase production tenfold without<br />

moving a single wall,” Tommy says. Financial<br />

necessity is a significant reason for introducing<br />

continuous production.<br />

“At <strong>Lundbeck</strong> we annually manufacture between<br />

30 and 40 tons of escitalopram, the active<br />

ingredient in Cipralex®. Production takes place in<br />

reactors large enough to contain between 3000<br />

and 4000 litres, and each batch must be put into<br />

sacks or barrels and moved to a warehouse where<br />

they occupy space. If we switch to continuous<br />

production and manufacture 60 grams per<br />

minute, the process can take place in a space<br />

roughly the size of a matchbox,” Tommy explains.<br />

Globalization has added further pressure to keep<br />

production costs down.<br />

“Ten years ago we manufactured most of the raw<br />

materials ourselves, whereas we now purchase<br />

them in the Far East. We must consider how we<br />

can reduce our costs, and it’s a matter of reducing<br />

them as soon as possible,” Tommy continues.<br />

Extremely interesting<br />

As Senior Project Manager, he heads a project<br />

known as Innovative Future Manufacturing IFM.<br />

“When I began working here, I flirted a bit with<br />

process intensification, in which technologies are<br />

combined to improve processes. It was in reality<br />

the forerunner of continuous production, so, in<br />

that sense, I have led the project from the very<br />

beginning – though not full-time. Our main job at<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> is to manufacture, so the project has<br />

been put on hold several times along the way. In<br />

2006, we devised a strategy for tackling<br />

globalization, and the continuous production<br />

project is part of that strategy,” explains Tommy,<br />

who has been an ardent supporter of the new<br />

method all along.<br />

“Someone had to champion the cause, and it<br />

happened to be me. Both because it is extremely<br />

interesting for an engineer from a professional<br />

point of view, and because, in the final analysis,<br />

it is a matter of <strong>Lundbeck</strong>’s production activities<br />

surviving in the long term. That is my driving<br />

force,” Tommy states.<br />

Collaboration with the Technical University<br />

of Denmark<br />

The actual systems for the project are one of the<br />

major challenges. They cannot be bought, but<br />

must be developed from scratch. <strong>Lundbeck</strong> has<br />

therefore entered into a five-year agreement<br />

with DTU concerning development of<br />

applications for the new production method.<br />

Several students are involved in designing<br />

proposals, and the first results have already been<br />

presented for <strong>Lundbeck</strong>.<br />

“The aim of collaborating with DTU is to obtain<br />

a number of building blocks to have at our<br />

disposal. Everyone in the pharmaceutical<br />

industry is interested in the possibilities, but not<br />

many dare experiment with it. It is difficult to<br />

break the habit of batch production, because it<br />

has been the basis for manufacturing in the<br />

pharmaceutical industry for so many years,”<br />

Tommy says. “<strong>Lundbeck</strong> would like to be a<br />

pioneer in the area.”<br />

“But we aren’t in any rush. The project has been<br />

set in motion because <strong>Lundbeck</strong> can see a<br />

number of advantages in the method. And we<br />

aren’t in a great hurry; we would prefer to reap<br />

the results gradually as we move forward,”<br />

concludes Tommy.<br />

PHOTO: Simon ladefoged


<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

37<br />

Always<br />

one step ahead<br />

The tempo has been high at <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Turkey since Gaye<br />

Burhanoglu became Managing Director seven years ago.<br />

If Gaye Burhanoglu were to identify her<br />

greatest fault, it would perhaps be her inability<br />

to sit down and do nothing for five minutes at<br />

a time. However, this trait is also one of her<br />

greatest strengths, because it ensures that she<br />

and <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Turkey are always one step<br />

ahead of competitors in a country where<br />

everything takes place at a hectic pace. It is<br />

likewise one of the reasons why <strong>Lundbeck</strong> is<br />

number one in CNS in Turkey and why<br />

Cipralex® is clearly the market leader in<br />

antidepressants.<br />

And while Turkey is also feeling the effects of<br />

the world economic crisis, there are no signs of<br />

a crisis at <strong>Lundbeck</strong> in Istanbul, where the<br />

headquarters have just moved to new and<br />

larger offices and added 10 new reps to the<br />

staff, bringing it up to 170 in all.<br />

Gaye has been with <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Turkey from<br />

its very beginning in 2000 when she was<br />

headhunted for the job as Sales and Marketing<br />

Manager from a post as head of the CNS<br />

business unit at Novartis. Eighteen months<br />

later she took over the reins as Managing<br />

Director of <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Turkey.<br />

“CNS has always been very close to my heart.<br />

Indeed, one might say that it has become my<br />

destiny. I have always been deeply interested<br />

in the human psyche, and I find associating<br />

with CNS specialists intellectually enriching.”<br />

Cotton and olives<br />

Gaye has a degree in marketing from one of<br />

the most prestigious universities in Istanbul.<br />

Her mother is a gynaecologist, and even<br />

though Gaye can clearly recall sales reps<br />

calling at the family home when she was a girl,<br />

it was definitely not in the cards that she<br />

would end up working in the pharmaceutical<br />

industry.<br />

“I thought I wanted to be a farmer and grow<br />

olives and cotton on my family’s property in<br />

southwest Turkey,” says Gaye who was born<br />

and raised in Izmir.<br />

On finishing school, she moved to Istanbul to<br />

study at the School of Agriculture, but changed<br />

her mind and opted for marketing instead.<br />

Since then she has lived in Istanbul, a city of<br />

approximately 20 million inhabitants. The<br />

exact population of this city situated at the<br />

crossroads of Europe and Asia is unknown, as<br />

thousands of the country’s 70 million citizens<br />

flock to the metropolis every day in search of<br />

prosperity.<br />

"Turkey is a very dynamic country with a<br />

young population that is eager to attempt<br />

new things, and I love that attitude"<br />

Fought and won<br />

“Turkey is a very dynamic country with a<br />

young population that is eager to attempt new<br />

things, and I love that attitude,” Gaye says.<br />

However, rapid developments – not least in<br />

Istanbul – are also an enormous challenge for<br />

Gaye and the staff members at <strong>Lundbeck</strong><br />

PHOTO: Simon ladefoged


38 <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

"I have always been deeply<br />

interested in the human psyche,<br />

and I find associating with CNS<br />

specialists intellectually enriching"<br />

Turkey, because the market changes from day<br />

to day.<br />

“This means that we must constantly be a<br />

step ahead of everyone else. From the very<br />

beginning, I fought for more reps because it<br />

suddenly became possible to market Cipramil®<br />

directly to GPs. We were only 15 employees at<br />

the time, and I could see opportunities in<br />

expanding our staff. We succeeded in<br />

convincing headquarters, though it took some<br />

time,” says Gaye, who found it difficult to<br />

maintain her patience. Her efforts paid off in<br />

the end, however, with sales of Cipramil®<br />

rocketing skyward and becoming the bestselling<br />

pharmaceutical in Turkey in 2003.<br />

Cipralex® has since taken over the role of<br />

market-leading antidepressant in Turkey.<br />

Despite keen generic competition, sales are<br />

still rising.<br />

Cipralex® has six generic copies. There are four<br />

of Ebixa®. However, they are branded generics<br />

which cost 80 per cent of the price of the<br />

originals. Under the current health system and<br />

reimbursement regulations, only a fraction of<br />

patients must pay for treatment with the<br />

original products.<br />

“In terms of pharma, Turkey is close to being<br />

on a par with Europe. Regulations have<br />

become more and more stringent, and the<br />

government is taking longer and longer to<br />

process applications for price adjustments and<br />

reimbursement. This will result in major<br />

challenges for us in the time ahead,” says<br />

Gaye, who has handled numerous crises over<br />

the years. In her view, she merely needs to<br />

apply an extra large amount of her<br />

competitive gene and combat capability.<br />

Loves sports<br />

She cultivates both by engaging in a variety of<br />

sports in her spare time. “I love sports. I used<br />

to swim when I was young, and I played<br />

basketball at a professional level. Basketball<br />

taught me teamwork and swimming taught<br />

me self-discipline. Both are useful in my work.<br />

I now have very little spare time, but we have<br />

a gym at the office where I do Pilates. I also do<br />

yoga, and we compete in Wii Sports in my<br />

family at home.”<br />

Gaye is the mother of two daughters aged 20<br />

and four, hence her lack of spare time.<br />

“With my first daughter, I was so busy that<br />

time just flew by, but I now have another<br />

perspective on life and try to maintain a better<br />

balance between my work and my private life.”<br />

To the extent that time allows, she travels the<br />

world with her husband who has his own<br />

company and is a passionate photographer.<br />

“As I mentioned, I find it difficult to sit still for<br />

very long at a time,” Gaye says with a smile.<br />

“I do feng shui to acquire more peace and<br />

harmony – also here at the office. I used the<br />

principles when we furnished our new offices,<br />

and when I eventually retire, I may well begin<br />

working as a feng shui consultant. I could<br />

never even dream of stopping work entirely.”<br />

PHOTO: Simon ladefoged


40<br />

From genes<br />

to galaxies<br />

The <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Foundation is one of Denmark’s largest private<br />

contributors to research in the health and natural sciences.


<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

41<br />

s an active researcher, Anne-Marie<br />

Engel was so successful at applying<br />

for and obtaining financing for her<br />

research that she taught her colleagues how<br />

to write applications that get the desired<br />

results. Now, she is on the other side of the<br />

table. As Director of Research at the <strong>Lundbeck</strong><br />

Foundation and secretary of its selection<br />

committee, Anne-Marie Engel is involved in<br />

processing the approximately 600 applications<br />

for funds for research purposes in the health<br />

and natural sciences which the Foundation<br />

receives annually.<br />

The selection committee has eight members,<br />

three of whom are on the board of the<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Foundation, and three of whom are<br />

scientific experts in Denmark’s neighbouring<br />

countries. The eight members gather three<br />

times a year to assess the individual<br />

applications, in order to provide the best<br />

possible basis for the Board of the <strong>Lundbeck</strong><br />

Foundation to distribute the large amounts<br />

of money at its disposal. Between 2008 and<br />

2010, the Foundation will distribute<br />

approximately DKK 1 billion.<br />

Many excellent researchers<br />

The first requirement is that research must be<br />

top quality, a criterion that applicants normally<br />

have no difficulty in meeting.<br />

“We see many good applications, and it is<br />

my impression that we have many excellent<br />

researchers in Denmark. Research projects<br />

must be in either the health or natural<br />

sciences. The foundation has a long tradition<br />

of supporting neurological research, though we<br />

also give money to many other fields within<br />

the health sciences. In recent years, we have<br />

given money for research in areas such as cell<br />

biology and cell communication. We have also<br />

donated to translation, which deals with<br />

building bridges between basic and clinical<br />

research that is done with a view to<br />

discovering improved methods of treatment<br />

based, among other things, on new knowledge<br />

of the role of genes in development of certain<br />

diseases. If scientists can map the significance<br />

of genes in development of illnesses such as<br />

asthma and various life-style diseases, it will<br />

have major consequences for both treatment<br />

and prevention,” Anne-Marie Engel says.<br />

Focus on intervention<br />

Intervention is another area of current interest<br />

to researchers.<br />

“In 2008 we supported the establishment of<br />

three centres. At the first centre, research is<br />

being done to optimize radiation treatment<br />

of various types of cancer, and at the second<br />

centre efforts are being made to discover a more<br />

efficient and less traumatic method of replacing<br />

knees and hips. The third centre focuses on<br />

neurological research, namely schizophrenia.<br />

Danish scientists have helped establish the<br />

existence of a chromosomal error that causes<br />

susceptibility to schizophrenia – a discovery that<br />

may well change the perception of persons with<br />

psychiatric disorders – the same as discovery of<br />

the bacteria that causes stomach ulcer has done<br />

for persons with that disorder. These persons<br />

used to be considered ‘delicate’. We now know<br />

that the illness has a physiological cause,” Anne-<br />

Marie Engel continues.<br />

A few years ago, the Board of the <strong>Lundbeck</strong><br />

Foundation also decided to earmark an amount<br />

for research in physics and chemistry, and the<br />

Foundation has also given money to projects<br />

such as Danish scientists’ studies of the universe.<br />

“It is very difficult to obtain financing for this<br />

type of research in Denmark, while there are<br />

many foundations that support research in the<br />

health sciences. The <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Foundation<br />

wishes to support Danish research on a broad<br />

front. We believe it is important to have a<br />

dynamic research environment in Denmark,”<br />

states Anne-Marie Engel.<br />

Too few young people<br />

She is a medical doctor, and became<br />

fascinated by research. She was employed as<br />

a researcher at Statens Serum Institute when<br />

she saw a job advert from the <strong>Lundbeck</strong><br />

Foundation. Much of the work consisted of<br />

reading applications and writing an<br />

introduction to them.<br />

“It was the ideal job for me. I was always<br />

reasonably lucky with writing applications to<br />

foundations to finance my research. Later, I<br />

taught others how to write successful<br />

applications to foundations that had<br />

previously turned them down,” Anne-Marie<br />

Engel continues.<br />

Her greatest concern for research is the fact<br />

that too few young people are studying for<br />

degrees in the natural sciences.<br />

“It would be unfortunate if the falling<br />

tendency continues. For this reason, the<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Foundation is supporting a number<br />

of initiatives that seek to influence students’<br />

choice of field of study during their early years<br />

at school. This must be done at a stage when<br />

they are still asking spontaneous questions<br />

about nature, and, among other things, the<br />

initiatives involve strengthening instruction in<br />

nature and technology for the youngest<br />

children in primary schools. Teachers must<br />

have more possibilities for making<br />

experiments. Children love classes where they<br />

are able to experiment, and they remember<br />

them for a long time – perhaps for the rest of<br />

their lives. Stimulating young people’s pleasure<br />

in the natural sciences is very close to my<br />

heart,” concludes Anne-Marie Engel.<br />

The <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Foundation is a commercial foundation which was established in 1954 by Mrs Grete<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong>, the widow of the founder of H. <strong>Lundbeck</strong> A/S. The primary aim of the Foundation is to<br />

maintain and expand the activities of the <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Group, and to provide funding for research of the<br />

highest quality in the health and natural sciences.<br />

In 2007 and 2008, the Foundation supported the establishment of research centres whose aim is<br />

to make the results of basic scientific research available for patients as quickly and efficiently as<br />

possible. The theme for 2009 is nanomedicine.<br />

In 2008, the <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Foundation donated DKK 328 million to research.<br />

PHOTO: Joachim ladefoged


42 <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

From idea<br />

to drug<br />

Distribution of drugs<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> drugs are registered in more than 90 countries.<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong>’s own representatives are in charge of spreading the<br />

knowledge of <strong>Lundbeck</strong> products in 55 countries. As <strong>Lundbeck</strong><br />

products are prescription drugs, doctors must decide when<br />

patients will benefit from them. <strong>Lundbeck</strong> spreads knowledge<br />

of its products through publications in scientific journals,<br />

participation in scientific conferences, and through meetings<br />

with doctors and specialists.<br />

Production of drugs<br />

A drug must be safe and efficacious. It must also be possible<br />

to produce it in large amounts and in a manner that enables<br />

patients to take the drug and assimilate it optimally in the body.<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> manufactures its own drugs in Denmark, the United<br />

Kingdom and Italy where a total of 964 persons are employed in<br />

the manufacturing. <strong>Lundbeck</strong> also collaborates with a number of<br />

other companies on various phases of the production process,<br />

ranging from supply of raw materials and semi-finished products<br />

to pharmaceutical production and packing of the drugs.


<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

43<br />

700 million in the world<br />

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 700 million<br />

cases of disorders of the central nervous system are reported each year. These<br />

are serious and life-threatening illnesses that affect not only patients’ quality of<br />

life, but also that of their families and friends. For society in general, the major<br />

economic consequences caused by these conditions make it important to<br />

develop new and innovative drugs. During the past 50 years, novel drugs have<br />

revolutionized the possibilities of treatment. However, there is still a huge<br />

unmet need for new and innovative drugs.<br />

From idea to drug candidate<br />

More than 480 persons are employed at the <strong>Lundbeck</strong> research<br />

units in Denmark and the United States. The basis for a new and<br />

innovative drug is deep insight into the disorder itself, and into the<br />

unmet needs of patients. The process takes between three and five<br />

years, during which researchers work to identify where in the<br />

human organism a new drug must act and to test substances for<br />

any efficacy, side effects and toxicity. If a substance passes all of<br />

these tests, it becomes a drug candidate.<br />

From candidate to approved drug<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> has development activities in some 40 countries around the world.<br />

800 employees are involved in development activities which are necessary<br />

for a drug to be approved. First, a substance is tested in healthy persons for<br />

its tolerability, assimilation and distribution in the body. Following this, its<br />

efficacy and side-effect profiles are tested in a small group of patients. In the<br />

third and decisive phase, the drug is tested in a large group of patients.<br />

Developing a new drug is very demanding, and normally takes between eight<br />

and ten years.<br />

ILLUSTRATION: MADS BERG


44 <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong><br />

Milestones<br />

1945-1960<br />

The foundation of <strong>Lundbeck</strong>’s CNS expertise<br />

During the years following World War II, <strong>Lundbeck</strong><br />

intensified its research, laying the foundation stone<br />

for the drugs which would later make <strong>Lundbeck</strong><br />

world famous. As the result of these efforts,<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> was able to introduce Truxal® in 1957,<br />

one of the first drugs for treatment of<br />

schizophrenia.<br />

In 1954, Mrs Grete <strong>Lundbeck</strong>, the widow of<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong>’s founder, established the <strong>Lundbeck</strong><br />

Foundation for the purpose of ensuring and<br />

expanding <strong>Lundbeck</strong>’s business operations, as well<br />

as for providing financial support for primarily<br />

scientific objectives and fight against diseases.<br />

1915-1930<br />

The first years as a Danish trading company<br />

Hans <strong>Lundbeck</strong> founded an agency in<br />

Copenhagen on 14 August 1915. The company<br />

dealt in everything from machinery, biscuits,<br />

confectionery, sweeteners, cinema equipment<br />

and cameras to photographic paper and<br />

aluminium foil, besides renting out vacuum<br />

cleaners.<br />

During its first years, the business was operated<br />

as a trading company, but, from the mid-1920s,<br />

pharmaceuticals were added to its range of<br />

products. Eduard Goldschmidt was hired in<br />

1924, bringing into the company a number of<br />

new agency contracts for drugs: suppositories<br />

for haemorrhoids, painkillers etc. Cologne and<br />

creams were also added to the portfolio.<br />

1930-1945<br />

Expansion in manufacturing and research<br />

In the 1930s, <strong>Lundbeck</strong> began production and packaging<br />

of pharmaceuticals in Denmark. To ensure sufficient<br />

manufacturing capacity, the company moved to the<br />

Copenhagen suburb of Valby in 1939, where <strong>Lundbeck</strong><br />

headquarters is situated today.<br />

In 1937, <strong>Lundbeck</strong> introduced Epicutan® for treatment of<br />

wounds – its first original pharmaceutical – and Lucosil®<br />

for treatment of urinary tract infections in 1940. 45 staff<br />

members celebrated <strong>Lundbeck</strong>’s 25th jubilee the same<br />

year.<br />

Hans <strong>Lundbeck</strong> died in 1943, and Poul Viggo Petersen was<br />

employed to build up <strong>Lundbeck</strong>’s pharmaceutical research.<br />

Thanks to his efforts, <strong>Lundbeck</strong> was able to create a niche<br />

for itself in psychopharmaceuticals.


<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

45<br />

1975-1990<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> defines CNS as its primary focus<br />

After 60 years of growth and development based on a<br />

wide assortment of products, <strong>Lundbeck</strong> decided at the<br />

end of the 1970s to phase out its existing agencies and<br />

cosmetics departments. After that, the company would<br />

focus on development and commercialization of drugs.<br />

At the close of the 1980s, <strong>Lundbeck</strong> further intensified<br />

its business strategy focus. In future, <strong>Lundbeck</strong> would<br />

dedicate its efforts to development, manufacturing and<br />

commercialization of drugs for the treatment of<br />

diseases and disorders of the central nervous system.<br />

Cipramil® was launched in Denmark in 1989 and<br />

played a key role in <strong>Lundbeck</strong>’s expansion.<br />

2005-2020<br />

Best CNS company<br />

In 2009, <strong>Lundbeck</strong> has more than 5,500 staff<br />

members who work in 55 countries. <strong>Lundbeck</strong> has a<br />

broad portfolio of drugs on the market for treatment<br />

of depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s<br />

disease and Parkinson’s disease. <strong>Lundbeck</strong> has 12 new<br />

and innovative drugs under development.<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong>’s ambition is to be the worlds best<br />

company in development of drugs for treatment of<br />

disorders and diseases of the central nervous system.<br />

With more than 50 years of experience in<br />

development and commercialization of CNS drugs,<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> has a solid foundation for ensuring that this<br />

ambition can be fulfilled during the coming decade.<br />

1960-1975<br />

Expanding <strong>Lundbeck</strong> goes international<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong>’s success with Truxal® increased the<br />

need for additional production capacity. In 1961,<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> purchased a redundant creamery in<br />

Lumsås and soon began production of active<br />

compounds.<br />

A number of drugs for treatment of psychiatric<br />

disorders were launched during the following<br />

years, and <strong>Lundbeck</strong> established its own<br />

representation in a number of countries. Between<br />

1960 and 1970, the number of employees<br />

doubled to 680, of whom approximately 100<br />

were employed abroad. <strong>Lundbeck</strong> was becoming<br />

an international company.<br />

1990-2005<br />

Expansion propelled by Cipramil® success<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> expanded rapidly in the 1990s, due to the success of Cipramil® for<br />

treatment of depression. Cipramil® was registered in more than 70 countries and<br />

grew to account for the major share of <strong>Lundbeck</strong>’s business operations.<br />

To ensure its continued success, <strong>Lundbeck</strong> intensified its research activities and<br />

began in-licensing drugs from other pharmaceutical companies. This enabled<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> to launch new drugs to take over when the patent on Cipramil® expired.<br />

Cipralex® was launched in 2002 and Ebixa® in 2003, and the two drugs were<br />

capable of compensating for Cipramil® when it was exposed to generic<br />

competition.<br />

In 2003, <strong>Lundbeck</strong> acquired the American research company Synaptic, thereby<br />

establishing an American research unit as a bridgehead in the United States.


46 <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong><br />

at a glance<br />

H. <strong>Lundbeck</strong> A/S is an international pharmaceutical company with more than 50 years of experience<br />

in research, development, production, marketing and sale of pharmaceuticals for the treatment of<br />

diseases of the central nervous system, CNS.<br />

Our values<br />

Imaginative – Dare to be different<br />

Passionate – Never give up<br />

Responsible – Do the right thing<br />

Founded in 1915 by Hans <strong>Lundbeck</strong>, the company<br />

was listed on the Nasdaq OMX Copenhagen stock<br />

exchange in 1999.<br />

The <strong>Lundbeck</strong> Foundation is the largest shareholder,<br />

own-ing about 70% of the shares. In 2008, the<br />

foundation paid out DKK 328 million in funds for<br />

scientific research.<br />

<strong>Lundbeck</strong> worldwide<br />

The Group employs more than<br />

5,500 employees in 55 countries.


<strong>Lundbeck</strong> Magazine 2009<br />

47<br />

Cipralex/Lexapro® (escitalopram)<br />

Approved for:<br />

Depression and anxiety<br />

Launch year:<br />

2002<br />

Partner:<br />

Forest Laboratories, Inc. (USA)<br />

Azilect® (rasagilin)<br />

Approved for:<br />

Parkinson’s disease<br />

Launch year: 2005<br />

Partner:<br />

Teva Pharmaceutical<br />

Industries Ltd.<br />

Ebixa® (memantin)<br />

Approved for:<br />

Alzheimer’s disease<br />

Launch year:<br />

2002<br />

Partner:<br />

Merz Pharmaceuticals GmbH<br />

Serdolect® (sertindol)<br />

Approved for:<br />

Schizophrenia<br />

Launch year:<br />

2006<br />

Circadin®<br />

Approved for:<br />

Insomnia<br />

Launch year:<br />

2008<br />

Partner: Neurim<br />

Pharmaceuticals Ltd.<br />

Revenue per product 2008<br />

16%<br />

1%<br />

2%<br />

14%<br />

22%<br />

2%<br />

43%<br />

Cipralex®<br />

Lexapro®<br />

Ebixa®<br />

Azilect®<br />

Serdolect®<br />

Other<br />

pharmaceuticals<br />

Other revenue<br />

Revenue DKK 11,282 million<br />

Research and development costs DKK 2,992 million<br />

Profit from operations DKK 2,352 million<br />

Net profit for the year DKK 1,510 million<br />

Pharmaceuticals in clinical development<br />

Development stage Registration<br />

Indication I Compound Phase I Phase II Phase III application<br />

Employees by business area 2008<br />

2,500<br />

2,000<br />

1,500<br />

1,000<br />

500<br />

0<br />

Production<br />

Research & Sales &<br />

development marketing<br />

Europe USA Other<br />

Administration<br />

Schizophrenia I Serdolect® USA<br />

Depression/angst I Lu AA21004 2010<br />

Schizophrenia I Bifeprunox 2011<br />

Alchol dependence I Nalmefen 2011<br />

Stroke I Desmoteplase 2011+<br />

Psychosis I Lu 31-130 2011+<br />

Depression I Lu AA24530 2011+<br />

Depression/bipolar disorder I Lu AA34893 2011+<br />

Psychosis I Lu AE58054 2011+<br />

Psychosis/bipolar disorderI Lu AA39959 2011+<br />

Stroke/neuronal damage I Lu AA24493 2011+<br />

Neurological diseases I Lu AA38466 2011+


The specialist in psychiatry<br />

and pioneer in neurology<br />

H. <strong>Lundbeck</strong> A/S<br />

Ottiliavej 9<br />

2500 Copenhagen - Valby<br />

Denmark<br />

Corporate Reporting<br />

Tel +45 36 30 13 11<br />

Fax +45 36 30 19 40<br />

information@lundbeck.com<br />

www.lundbeck.com<br />

CVR no. 56759913

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