Lars Lannfelt, Pär Gellerfors, and Gunilla Osswald awarded Uppsala University's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Prize
BioArctic AB (Nasdaq Stockholm: BIOA B) founders Lars Lannfelt and Pär Gellerfors, along with CEO Gunilla Osswald, have been awarded Uppsala University's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Prize 2025 for their groundbreaking work in Alzheimer's disease treatment.
The recognition stems from Lannfelt's 1990s breakthrough in understanding Alzheimer's disease and developing an antibody-based treatment. The company, founded in 2003, partnered with Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai to develop lecanemab, which is now approved in eleven countries including the USA, Japan, and China, with pending approvals in 17 additional countries and regions, including Europe.
The founders' vision includes building BioArctic into a fully-fledged pharmaceutical company in Sweden, focusing on both research and product commercialization. Gunilla Osswald, CEO since 2014, has been instrumental in realizing this vision of helping patients worldwide.
BioArctic AB (Nasdaq Stockholm: BIOA B) è stata fondata da Lars Lannfelt e Pär Gellerfors, insieme all'amministratore delegato Gunilla Osswald, che hanno ricevuto il Premio per l'Innovazione e l'Imprenditorialità dell'Università di Uppsala 2025 per il loro lavoro innovativo nel trattamento della malattia di Alzheimer.
Il riconoscimento deriva dalla scoperta di Lannfelt negli anni '90, che ha portato a una comprensione approfondita della malattia di Alzheimer e allo sviluppo di un trattamento basato su anticorpi. L'azienda, fondata nel 2003, ha collaborato con la compagnia farmaceutica giapponese Eisai per sviluppare lecanemab, che è ora approvato in undici paesi, tra cui USA, Giappone e Cina, con approvazioni in sospeso in ulteriori 17 paesi e regioni, compresa l'Europa.
La visione dei fondatori include la costruzione di BioArctic come una vera e propria azienda farmaceutica in Svezia, con un focus sia sulla ricerca che sulla commercializzazione dei prodotti. Gunilla Osswald, amministratore delegato dal 2014, è stata fondamentale per realizzare questa visione di aiutare i pazienti in tutto il mondo.
BioArctic AB (Nasdaq Estocolmo: BIOA B) fue fundada por Lars Lannfelt y Pär Gellerfors, junto con la directora ejecutiva Gunilla Osswald, quienes han sido galardonados con el Premio a la Innovación y el Emprendimiento de la Universidad de Uppsala 2025 por su trabajo innovador en el tratamiento de la enfermedad de Alzheimer.
El reconocimiento proviene del avance de Lannfelt en la década de 1990 en la comprensión de la enfermedad de Alzheimer y el desarrollo de un tratamiento basado en anticuerpos. La compañía, fundada en 2003, se asoció con la empresa farmacéutica japonesa Eisai para desarrollar lecanemab, que ahora está aprobado en once países, incluidos EE. UU., Japón y China, con aprobaciones pendientes en 17 países y regiones adicionales, incluida Europa.
La visión de los fundadores incluye construir BioArctic como una empresa farmacéutica consolidada en Suecia, centrada tanto en la investigación como en la comercialización de productos. Gunilla Osswald, directora ejecutiva desde 2014, ha sido fundamental para hacer realidad esta visión de ayudar a pacientes en todo el mundo.
BioArctic AB (나스닥 스톡홀름: BIOA B)의 창립자 라스 란펠트와 페르 겔레르포스, 그리고 CEO 구닐라 오스발드는 알츠하이머병 치료에 대한 혁신적인 연구로 2025년 업살라 대학교 혁신 및 기업가 정신 상을 수상했습니다.
이 인정은 란펠트가 1990년대에 알츠하이머병을 이해하고 항체 기반 치료법을 개발한 획기적인 발견에서 비롯됩니다. 2003년에 설립된 이 회사는 일본 제약회사인 Eisai와 협력하여 레카네맙을 개발했으며, 현재 미국, 일본, 중국을 포함한 11개국에서 승인되었으며, 유럽을 포함한 17개국 및 지역에서 추가 승인을 기다리고 있습니다.
창립자들의 비전은 스웨덴에서 BioArctic를 완전한 제약 회사로 성장시키는 것이며, 연구와 제품 상용화 모두에 집중하고 있습니다. 2014년부터 CEO로 재직 중인 구닐라 오스발드는 전 세계 환자들을 돕는 이 비전을 실현하는 데 중요한 역할을 해왔습니다.
BioArctic AB (Nasdaq Stockholm: BIOA B) a été fondée par Lars Lannfelt et Pär Gellerfors, avec la CEO Gunilla Osswald, qui ont reçu le Prix de l'Innovation et de l'Entrepreneuriat de l'Université d'Uppsala 2025 pour leur travail révolutionnaire dans le traitement de la maladie d'Alzheimer.
Cette reconnaissance découle de la percée de Lannfelt dans les années 1990 concernant la compréhension de la maladie d'Alzheimer et le développement d'un traitement à base d'anticorps. L'entreprise, fondée en 2003, s'est associée à la société pharmaceutique japonaise Eisai pour développer lecanemab, qui est maintenant approuvé dans onze pays, dont les États-Unis, le Japon et la Chine, avec des approbations en attente dans 17 pays et régions supplémentaires, y compris l'Europe.
La vision des fondateurs comprend la transformation de BioArctic en une entreprise pharmaceutique à part entière en Suède, axée à la fois sur la recherche et la commercialisation des produits. Gunilla Osswald, CEO depuis 2014, a joué un rôle essentiel dans la réalisation de cette vision d'aider les patients dans le monde entier.
BioArctic AB (Nasdaq Stockholm: BIOA B) wurde von Lars Lannfelt und Pär Gellerfors sowie der CEO Gunilla Osswald gegründet und erhielt den Innovations- und Unternehmerpreis der Universität Uppsala 2025 für ihre bahnbrechenden Arbeiten zur Behandlung der Alzheimer-Krankheit.
Die Auszeichnung basiert auf Lannfelts Durchbruch in den 1990er Jahren, der ein tiefes Verständnis der Alzheimer-Krankheit und die Entwicklung einer antikörperbasierten Therapie ermöglichte. Das 2003 gegründete Unternehmen arbeitete mit dem japanischen Pharmaunternehmen Eisai zusammen, um Lecanemab zu entwickeln, das jetzt in elf Ländern, darunter die USA, Japan und China, zugelassen ist, während in 17 weiteren Ländern und Regionen, einschließlich Europa, noch Genehmigungen ausstehen.
Die Vision der Gründer umfasst den Aufbau von BioArctic zu einem vollwertigen Pharmaunternehmen in Schweden, das sowohl auf Forschung als auch auf die Vermarktung von Produkten fokussiert ist. Gunilla Osswald, die seit 2014 CEO ist, spielt eine entscheidende Rolle bei der Verwirklichung dieser Vision, um Patienten weltweit zu helfen.
- Drug lecanemab approved in 11 major markets including USA, Japan, and China
- Pending approvals in 17 additional countries/regions
- Successful partnership with major pharmaceutical company Eisai
- None.
The motivation reads: The prize is awarded for their groundbreaking research and strong business acumen, contributing to an important innovation in the fight against Alzheimer's disease and for their outstanding effort in taking an academic discovery all the way to an approved drug with the potential to change the lives of millions of people.
"I am very happy and proud. It feels both exciting and honorable to receive this prize," says Lars Lannfelt, professor emeritus at Uppsala University and one of BioArctic's two founders.
Lars Lannfelt succeeded in understanding what causes Alzheimer's disease as early as the 1990's. At the time he also got the idea to develop an antibody that could slow down the progression of the disease. Professor Lannfelt founded the company BioArctic in 2003 together with Pär Gellerfors, based on his research at Uppsala University, when development of the drug was still in its early stages. Early on, the two founders managed to establish a collaboration with the Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai, and since then they have worked together to develop the antibody-based drug lecanemab.
"A vision that Lars and I have had all along is that we want to build BioArctic into a fully-fledged pharmaceutical company that both conducts research and commercializes products.
The drug is currently approved in eleven countries, including the
"My driving force has always been to help patients, and it is fantastic to feel that we are now helping patients around the world. It is a privilege to have worked together with Lars and Pär to realize their vision, along with colleagues at BioArctic," says Gunilla Osswald, who holds a PhD from Uppsala University and has been CEO of BioArctic since 2014.
The information was released for public disclosure, through the agency of the contact person below, on March 12, 2025, at 08:00 CET.
For further information, please contact:
Oskar Bosson, VP Communications and IR
E-mail: oskar.bosson@bioarctic.com
Phone: +46 70 410 71 80
Charlotte af Klercker, Senior Director Sustainability and Communications
E-mail: charlotte.afklercker@bioarctic.com
Phone: +46 73 515 09 70
Images of Lars Lannfelt, Pär Gellerfors och Gunilla Osswald can be found on the company website: https://www.bioarctic.com/en/media/image-bank/
Motivation
The recipients of Uppsala University's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Prize for 2025 have successfully addressed a growing global health problem. Through groundbreaking research and strong business acumen, they have contributed to an important innovation in the fight against Alzheimer's disease. For their outstanding effort in taking an academic discovery all the way to an approved drug with the potential to change the lives of millions of people, the prize is awarded to Lars Lannfelt, Pär Gellerfors, and Gunilla Osswald.
About Uppsala University's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Prize
Uppsala University's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Prize is awarded to one or more individuals who have significantly contributed to successfully translating a discovery or innovation, based on research or education at Uppsala University, into successful commercialization or implementation with significant societal benefit.
The prize was established in 2021 by the Foundation for Uppsala University's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Prize, whose purpose is to highlight Uppsala University's entrepreneurial culture. The prize amount of
About BioArctic AB
BioArctic AB (publ) is a Swedish research-based biopharma company focusing on innovative treatments that can delay or stop the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. The company is the originator of Leqembi® (lecanemab) – the world's first drug proven to slow the progression of the disease and reduce cognitive impairment in early Alzheimer's disease. Leqembi has been developed together with Eisai. BioArctic has a broad research portfolio within Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, ALS and enzyme deficiency diseases. Several of the projects utilize the company's proprietary BrainTransporter™ technology, which improves the transport of drugs into the brain. BioArctic's B share (BIOA B) is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm Large Cap. For more information, please visit www.bioarctic.com.
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SOURCE BioArctic
FAQ
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