Company history: 1945-1960

Contrary to the beginning of the century when the development of new medicines was based on luck and skill, success in the pharmaceutical industry was now achieved through targeted research.

After the Second World War, the development of new medicines once again gained momentum. As part of their war reparations, the Allies had taken over the rights to all German patents and Danish companies were among those benefiting. Lundbeck acquired the rights to the compound ketobemidon and further developed it to become Ketogan®. Since its introduction in 1952, Ketogan® has been one of the most widely used preparations to relieve very acute pain.

Lundbeck secured its own niche in the research of antibiotics that was typical of the time. This was accomplished through skill - and a little old-fashioned luck. On a visit to the USA, Lundbeck’s director, Oluf Hübner, had made a spontaneous call on Professor Selman Waksman – later a Nobel Prize winner – who presented him with the basic recipe for Neomycin®, a preparation for the treatment of wound infections. Neomycin® became another of Lundbeck's popular preparations from the early post-war period. And with it came the establishment of a microbiology laboratory at Valby. Lundbeck began to culture bacteria and Neomycin® production began in 1952.

Â

Oluf HĂĽbner (1907-1978)

The former multi-faceted trading company took a giant leap in shaping what Lundbeck is today when it intensified an interest in compounds that affect the central nervous system. Under P.V. Petersen's management, Lundbeck established research units for pharmacology, toxicology and biology. And a new synthesis factory was added to the company’s Valby production facilities.

Â

Chemist Povl Viggo Petersen (1920-1988)

The sedative Covatin® was developed, although it enjoyed a relatively short commercial life. Lundbeck's researchers also experimented with the compound chlorpromazine. Chlorpromazine had an amazingly beneficial effect on patients suffering from schizophrenia, but there were also significant side effects, such as allergic reactions. To reduce these side effects, Lundbeck replaced a centrally located nitrogen molecule with carbon. The synthesis succeeded in 1957 and just over 12 months later the preparation was marketed under the name Truxal®. Lundbeck's success with Truxal® had a positive effect on production and sales. The company grew larger and the number of original Lundbeck preparations increased.

Â	Â
Â	Â

 

Continue to company history: 1960-1975

Back to company history: 1930-1945