SEAGEN: On Global Biotech Expansion and Advancing Oncology Leadership
SEAGEN has a promising pipeline of practice-changing cancer treatments in early and late-stage development and one of the promising late-stage candidates is being developed together with a Danish partner. Thus far, the company has brought three innovative products to the market in USA. The two first innovations were commercialised in Europe through partners.
However, with the launch of its third product the time has come to build Seagen's own commercial operations across Europe with a sub-regional headquarter in Copenhagen, Denmark, covering the Nordics, UK and Ireland.
Because of a vibrant ecosystem
Denmark offers an attractive location for both businesses and people. There is a competitive, focused and growing biotech ecosystem with a global commercial mindset. There is a legacy of bringing world class innovation to the market, for using the innovation fast, and an understanding of the risks and opportunities involved in the innovation process, as well as a requirement for all involved to be flexible and adaptable.
"In the Øresund Region and with the strong life science environment around Greater Copenhagen, we have access to a vibrant ecosystem underpinned by world-class life science universities, research infrastructure as well as talented and entrepreneurial people who are competent yet pragmatic as they accept the risk and rewards involved. All this combined makes the region attractive for us as the place to setup our hub."
Focus on clinical and health economic value & understand the systematiced process of adoption
In February 2021, the European Commission approved Seagen's new targeted cancer drug to treat metastatic HER2+ breast cancer. The launch of this product serves as the platform for commercial expansion into Europe.According to Dalsgaard, the Northern European region is an exciting, and to some extent, different market when it comes to launching new innovative treatments in Europe. There is, not surprisingly, a strong focus on both the clinical and health economic value of a new treatment and also country specific systematic approaches and processes for how new innovations are being introduced and adopted by the treating physicians.
"The Nordic and UK markets typically score well in providing patients fast access to new and improved cancer treatments when you look at international rankings, however, only to the extent that the company can document and justify both the clinical and health economic added value. Yet that in itself is not enough. Furthermore, the adoption of new technology to improve treatment in cancer is implemented via centralized guidelines, recommendations and ‘disease packages’ from the payors and the professional societies. Understanding the combination of systematized decision making process with emphasis on both clinical and health economic value is important when we design and roll out our commercial approach and recruit our team members."
"The way of doing business here is built around transparency, and a cross-functional and highly digital approach. I strongly believe that we, in the industry, together with healthcare professionals and research institutions, can innovate effective collaboration models that ensure high productivity and value for all parties and ultimately benefit patients."
New life science strategy to benefit of national and international life science companies
In Spring 2021, the Danish government launched its most ambitious life sciences strategy to date. Thirty-eight new initiatives must ensure a better framework for research and development, use of health data, highly skilled labour attraction and targeted internationalisation and government cooperation. In addition, the new strategy also focuses on healthy and green growth, knowledge sharing and collaboration.
"As an emerging global biotech leader in oncology, we warmly welcome the new life sciences strategy. We are already conducting clinical studies in Denmark, in UK and in Sweden and hope we can extend the clinical collaboration in the future to include the entire Nordic region and contribute to the continued knowledge building in the areas of oncology, where the patients’ needs are the highest."
Seagen started its expansion in Europe in 2016 by establishing an European office in Zug, Switzerland. The company's Nordic organisation is based at DTU Science Park, a part of the Technical University of Denmark and located at Hørsholm, north of Copenhagen.
Earlier in 2021, Seagen was ranked as number four of Fortune's most innovative and inventive pharmaceutical companies. In addition, in October 2020, Seagen/Seattle Genetics topped the Forbes list of The World's Best Employers in the category for Drugs and Biotechnology.
Free of charge public service
The role of Invest in Denmark has been to support SEAGEN in building its Danish organisation through offering access to legal advice, general support in understanding Danish framework conditions and facilitated access to local networks.
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