Lundbeck


H. Lundbeck A/S is a Danish international pharmaceutical company engaged in the research and development, production, marketing, and sale of drugs for the treatment of disorders in the central nervous system, including depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
Headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, Lundbeck has international production facilities in Denmark, Italy and France and affiliates or sales offices in more than 50 countries. Lundbeck employs around 5,000 people globally, and the company’s products are registered in more than 100 countries worldwide.
In 2017, the company's revenue was DKK 17.2 billion.
Lundbeck is listed on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange.
Lundbeck is a full member of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations and of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations

History

The company was founded by Hans Lundbeck in 1915, and was initially a trading company supplying a variety of goods to the Danish market, including machinery for manufacturing, aluminium foil, artificial sweeteners, and photographic equipment.
Lundbeck entered the pharmaceutical market in 1924, importing medicines and cosmetics from companies based in other European and American countries. By the late 1930s, Lundbeck had begun to produce its own medicinal products and had established its own research department. Production continued during the Second World War, although it was limited due to a lack of raw materials.
After the war, Lundbeck continued to grow and in 1957 the company introduced Truxal for the treatment of schizophrenia, entering the market for brain disorders. In 1954, the Lundbeck Foundation was established to maintain and expand the activities of Lundbeck Group and also to provide funding for scientific research of the highest quality.
From the late 1970s and up through the 1980s, Lundbeck diverted its old agency business and thus became a dedicated pharmaceutical company focusing on the production of drugs used to treat disorders and diseases of the central nervous system.
In 1989, Lundbeck launched the antidepressant Celexa, which became the cornerstone for the company’s international expansion and in 2009 Lundbeck, bought Ovation and established a commercial platform in the USA.
In 2012, to focus on newer, strategic CNS-products, Lundbeck sold a portfolio of non-core products to Recordati S.p.A.. In 2014 Lundbeck acquired Chelsea Therapeutics for up to $658 million.
In March 2018, the company acquired Prexton Therapeutics for up to €905 million
In June 2018, the former Millennium Pharmaceuticals CEO, Deborah Dunsire, was named the new CEO of Lundbeck.
In September 2019 Lundbeck announced it would acquire Alder BioPharmaceuticals $18 per share, valuing Alder at almost $2 billion.

Key products

Lundbeck markets a number of different pharmaceuticals for the treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders. The most recently launched compounds include: Rexulti, Brintellix and Abilify Maintena.
Lundbeck manufactures drugs such as:
Brand nameINNDrug classIndicationNotes
Abilify MaintenaAripiprazoleAtypical antipsychoticMaintenance treatment of schizophreniaCo-marketed with Otsuka
AzilectRasagilineMAOB inhibitorParkinson's diseaseIn some countries co-marketed with Teva
Brintellix, TrintellixVortioxetineSRI multimodal antidepressant Major depressive disorderCo-marketed in the USA with Takeda, who also has rights to Japan
Cipramil, Celexa, SeropramCitalopramSSRIMajor depressive disorder
Anxiety disorders
Cipralex, LexaproEscitalopramSSRIMajor depressive disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder 		-enantiomer of citalopram
Clopixol, CisordinolZuclopenthixolHigh-potency typical antipsychotic
Psychoses, including schizophreniaCis-isomer of clopenthixol
DeanxitFlupentixol/melitracenTypical antipsychotic / Tricyclic antidepressantModerate-to-severe depression associated with anxiety and/or agitation
Ebixa, EbixMemantineNMDA receptor antagonistAlzheimer's disease
FluanxolFlupentixolHigh-potency thioxanthene typical antipsychoticPsychoses, including schizophrenia
ModiodalModafinilEugeroic Narcolepsy
Shift work sleep disorder
Obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea
Nortrilen, SensovalNortriptylineTricyclic antidepressantDepression
Nocturnal enuresis		Active metabolite of amitriptyline
OnfiClobazamBenzodiazepine anticonvulsant and anxiolyticSeizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndromeOutside the US, approved for anxiety and treatment-resistant epilepsy
RexultiBrexpiprazoleAtypical antipsychotic Schizophrenia
Major depressive disorder 		Marketed in partnership with Otsuka
SabrilVigabatrinAnticonvulsant
Treatment-resistant epilepsy Use is restricted to resistant and refractory epilepsy due to the risk of irreversible vision loss
Saphris, SycrestAsenapineAtypical antipsychoticPsychoses, including schizophrenia
Acute and maintenance treatment of Bipolar I disorder		In some countries marketed by or co-marketed with Merck & Co.
Saroten, Sarotex, RedomexAmitriptylineTricyclic antidepressantDepression
Anxiety disorders
Eating disorders
Migraine prophylaxis
Insomnia, etc.
SelincroNalmefeneOpioid receptor antagonistReduction of alcohol consumption in alcohol dependence Only be used in patients with high drinking risk, in those who do not have physical withdrawal symptoms or require immediate detoxification
Serdolect, SerlectSertindoleAtypical antipsychoticPsychoses, including schizophrenia
TreandaBendamustineNitrogen mustard alkylating agentChronic lymphocytic leukemiaCo-marketed with Teva
TruxalChlorprothixeneThioxanthene typical antipsychoticPsychosis, including schizophreniaIn some other countries approved for menopausal depression, insomnia and resistant nausea/vomiting
Xenazine, NitomanTetrabenazineVMAT2 inhibitorChorea associated with Huntington's disease
Tic disorders
Tardive dyskinesia

Products under development

Lundbeck formerly held the only license to manufacture pentobarbital in the United States. The drug is commonly used for execution by lethal injection in the United States. After coming under criticism for not adding an ‘end user’ agreement to prevent importers from selling Nembutal to American prisons for use in executions, Lundbeck announced that it would not sell Nembutal to prisons in U.S. states that carry out executions. By introducing a new distribution system, Nembutal will be supplied exclusively through a specialty pharmacy drop ship program that will deny distribution of the product to prisons in U.S. states currently active in carrying out the death penalty by lethal injection.
In December 2011 Lundbeck divested a portfolio of products including Nembutal to US pharmaceutical company Akorn Inc. As part of the agreement, Akorn committed to continue with Lundbeck's restricted distribution program for Nembutal, which was implemented to restrict the use of the product in the US.

2013 fine

On June 19, 2013, the European Commission imposed a fine of €93.8 million on Lundbeck and fined several producers of generic pharmaceuticals a total of €52.2 million after Lundbeck made agreements in 2002 with the other companies to delay less expensive generics of Lundbeck's citalopram from entering the market. In return for the ability to maintain a monopoly on the drug's manufacture, Lundbeck offered payments and other kickbacks.