Nordic Life Science 1
risk of getting the disease. There is another 1.2
million people in the US at the age of over 45 years, who has one First Degree Relative who has died from pancreatic cancer. This population has a 10 fold risk of getting pancreatic cancer. So the familial/hereditary risk group surveillance is a significant market opportunity for us. In the risk group of symptomatic, and new onset diabetes type II over 50 years of age, the test will be marketed based on symptoms,” describes Dahlen. “We have a solid reimbursement strategy and a long-term objective to be included in national guidelines.” Being a Swedish life science company originating from Lund University, close relationships with academia is essential, says Dahlen. “The development studies of IMMray PanCan-d have for instance been performed in close collaboration with CREATE Health at Lund University. Also, Medicon Village, which we are a part of, is a stimulating innovation melting pot.” The company today has over 60 employees in the Swedish and US organizations. “Finding the right employees is obviously crucial for our success and so far we have been able to attract the right competence, both locally and in the US. We hire persons we know have the right scientific or industrial experience and make sure that they are given the opportunity to develop within their area at the company,” states Dahlen. Finding financing is always crucial to SMEs and has not been easy during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but during 2020 Immunovia was able to raise SEK 400 million through a directed share issue, in which they attracted international investors as well as renewed confidence from both existing and new local investors. This was one of the largest capital acquisitions for a diagnostic company based outside the US. “With the cash at hand, and sales of our test on a commercial basis, we have capital now for the next three years. Our strategy going forward will be to raise capital on the international markets, which we think we will succeed with thanks to the trust we have from our current investors and with gaining inroads, particularly in the US market,” says Dahlen. he pandemic has affected Dahlen and his co-workers possibilities to collect further blood samples for the validation study, and they had to postpone the market launch in the US to this year, 2021, instead of last year. “Any delay is frustrating over the shorter perspective, however long-term, our achievement marks a giant leap for early detection of pancreatic cancer,” he says. NLS