LUNDBECKFONDEN - SUSTIANABILITY REPORT 2021
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IMPROVING HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE STARTING WITH THE BRAIN SDG 3 constitutes an important strategic anchor for the Foundation’s
At the core of the Lundbeck Foundation’s purpose and strategy of bringing
philanthropic and commercial activities - especially sub-target 3.4
discoveries to lives is the commitment to drive new health discoveries that can
regarding the treatment of non-communicable diseases and mental health
improve people’s lives and well-being.
given the Foundation’s focus on the brain.
BETTER LIVES THROUGH BETTER SCIENCE
prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of brain disorders. In
and the BBC to produce a short documentary about the life of a
In 2021, the total grant sum of the Lundbeck Foundation
2021, approximately 79% of the granted amount –
migraine patient (https://lundbeckfonden.com/en/news/
amounted to DKK 803m. New scientific discoveries and
corresponding to DKK 632m – was awarded to brain research.
documentary-living-with-migraine-and-the-battle-better-
insights are a key enabler to reaching the goals of SDG3 (Good
This included the largest single grant ever: DKK 187m to
brain-health).
health and well-being). The Foundation’s grants cover basic
establish the Neuroscience Academy Denmark. Over recent decades, neuroscience has been a somewhat
A RESPONSIBLE OWNER AND INVESTOR IN HEALTHCARE COMPANIES
also include application-oriented research grants with a
overlooked scientific topic in life-science research. The brain is
As an owner and investor in the healthcare sector, the
potential direct impact on the discovery of new treatments.
highly complex to study and often requires a translational
Foundation’s commercial activities are also part of its
The Foundation’s support for biomedical science includes
approach and challenging clinical studies, which take time,
commitment to improving health and quality of life. New
funding large-scale research projects, supporting the talent
resources, and access to biomedical as well as
scientific knowledge and insights are translated into treatments
development of the best scientists, and the development of the
sociodemographic data. Growing the awareness of the
through commercial business models, which can bring products
surrounding ecosystem in neuroscience and healthcare.
importance of brain health and neuroscience research within
and treatments to the market and thereby also to patients. The
the life science community, and in society in general, is
Foundation’s ownerships and direct investments are driven
IT STARTS WITH THE BRAIN
therefore also an important task for the Foundation as part of its
with the clear objective of reaching and improving the lives of
The number of people with brain diseases is growing around
strategic ambition of being an active public voice, that
patients - patients with brain health challenges (as with
the globe. Diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are
contributes constructively to the development of society. In
Lundbeck), patients with respiratory allergy challenges (as with
known for their devastating consequences for people’s lives,
2021, the Foundation hosted a range of talks and events about
ALK), or people caught in a health emergency situation
but also for their significant economic burden on society.
brain health, new neuroscience studies and the cost of brain
requiring immediate action (as with Falck).
Furthermore, the economic costs are growing, due to ageing
disorders. The Foundation also partnered with NCD Alliance
research, which has limited short-term impact on health treatments, but is vital to understanding human biology. They
populations in many societies. Despite the significant burden of brain diseases, the world still lacks fundamental knowledge about the brain and its diseases, and this constitutes a critical barrier for the development of new and better treatments. The Lundbeck Foundation is committed to bridging the scientific knowledge gap regarding the brain, and to generating new insights and knowledge that can lead to better
THE CONSEQUENCES OF BRAIN DISEASES IN DENMARK To understand the societal burden of brain diseases, the Lundbeck Foundation initiated a scientific study on the occurrence, mortality and cost of brain diseases in Denmark. The team of researchers at Aarhus University published their findings in 2020 showing: • • • •
Approximately one in five Danes will, during the courses of their lives, experience a brain disease The mortality rate is five times higher for Danes with one or more brain diseases Brain diseases make up a third of the 21 most common diseases in Denmark The total direct attributable cost of healthcare services for people with brain diseases in Denmark is estimated at DKK 39bn each year. This is particularly driven by diseases such as depression, stroke, and dementia
