ALK

Progress in paediatric allergy care is important for children with allergy all across Europe. 🤧 At a recent roundtable in Brussels, ALK united a passionate group of policymakers, physicians, and patient advocates to refine solutions for paediatric respiratory allergies. This was the second crucial gathering for these experts who took the opportunity to present and prioritise potential paediatric initiatives aimed at improving access to care for children afflicted by allergy. The quality of life for children was at the heart of every discussion among the experts. With innovative strategies and collaborative perseverance, we are excited about making real progress toward increased awareness and improved management of paediatric respiratory allergic disease throughout Europe. “The expert group brings a robust 360-degree perspective, driving collaborative strategies to optimise paediatric allergy care. Joint efforts like these are vital for defining and prioritising the goals and content of an upcoming public health whitepaper that will be prepared by the expert group and which we are very excited about," says Mercedes Romano, senior global market access manager at ALK. If you or your children are experiencing symptoms of allergy, it is recommended that you get in touch with your doctor to get tested for allergy and discuss potential management options. 📸 Mercedes Romano (ALK), Dr. Luis Moral (ES), Mikaela Odemyr (SE), Prof. Dr. med. Eckard Hamelmann (DE), Dr. Nicole Hass (ES), Prof. PD Dr. Thomas Eiwegger (AT). Mark Aagren (ALK), Torsten Lindström (SE), Dr. Jacob Houmann-Hammer (DK).

Happy birthday to a visionary pioneer in allergy solutions – and one of the two founders of ALK! 🎈 Born on 9 October 1876 in Aalborg, Denmark, Peter Barfod’s journey is one of relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence in the field of pharmaceuticals. From graduating his bachelor’s degree with top marks from Farmaceutiske Højskole (The Pharmaceutical College) in 1898 to his appointment as the first pharmacist at the new Rigshospital in Copenhagen (Copenhagen University Hospital), Barfod's commitment to healthcare was clear. Alongside ALK’s co-founder Kaj Baagøe, Barfod created and distributed Denmark's first pharmaceutically manufactured allergy preparation in 1923 – a goose-feather extract, marking the beginning of a new era in allergy solutions and laying the foundation for what is today ALK. Today, we honor Barfod's innovative spirit and his contributions to improving the lives of people with allergies worldwide. Without him and Baagøe, there would be no ALK as we know it today. #allergy #pharma #happybirhtday #innovation #pioneer

Are you ready to wrap yourself in a warm blanket and unravel a mystery this autumn? 🍁🎧 We’ve got a suggestion for you. 👇 If your autumn evenings could use a sprinkle of intrigue and historical wonder, look no further! 'The Hunt for a Vaccine' is the perfect podcast companion for your seasonal relaxation. Through an enthralling true crime documentary, this podcast uncovers a monumental achievement in the history of Danish medicine — a discovery made over a century ago that remains influential to millions of people across the globe. Cozy up, press play on your chosen podcast service and let this inspiring and thrilling story transport you through time and innovation. #allergy #innovation #pharma #podcast #truecrimepodcast

As the leaves turn amber and the air grows crisp, some may think that allergy season is over. But for people with house dust mite allergy, this is not the case. 🍂 Unlike pollen, house dust mites are present all year round. The microscopic creatures thrive inside our homes, especially in our beds as they prefer warm and humid conditions and mainly feed on our dead skin-cells. But you can minimise the presence of these unwelcome guests: 🌬️ Keep humidity low in your home by frequently ventilating your rooms, creating a less conducive environment for mites to thrive. 🧹Dust and vacuum regularly to reduce the number of mites, especially in your bedrooms. 🔥Regularly change and launder your sheets and blankets at high temperatures to eliminate mites and their allergens. If you experience symptoms of house dust mite allergy such as itchy eyes, a runny nose, coughing, feeling tired or even more severe respiratory issues during autumn and winter, a reduction in the presence of the mites in your home may not be sufficient to make a noticeable difference for you. In this case, it might be relevant for you to reach out to your doctor to discuss potential symptom management options for you.   #allergy #pharma #housedustmiteallergy #allergyawareness #tipsandtricks

Looking for engineering opportunities in an innovative, global, and purpose-driven organisation? ALK might be the place for you. 👇 ALK is a global pharmaceutical company with 2,800 employees dedicated to helping people with allergy. We have production sites in Denmark, Spain, France, and the US and across these sites, there is a shared dedication to ensure that our pioneering company is always at the forefront of new solutions, optimising and simplifying our processes while upholding the highest quality standards of our products. If you want to take part in moving ALK towards the future of allergy care for the benefit of millions of people with allergies, check out some of our current vacant engineering positions at our career site 👉 https://lnkd.in/dUbG_MAr. Don’t forget to click the follow button to join our LinkedIn community and learn much more about ALK, allergies, and career opportunities! 🔗 #careers #innovation #allergy #pharma #engineering

Is it a cold or is it allergies? Are you feeling post-summer exhausted or is it hay fever? 🤔 The symptoms of hay fever, such as a runny nose, itchy eyes, and a general feeling of discomfort, can be difficult to separate from the symptoms of a simple cold. Getting a timely diagnosis of allergies can potentially optimise the allergy treatment, and right now, as the summer is coming to an end, is actually an optimal time to get diagnosed. But what does the process of getting a diagnosis include? In addition to a physical examination and an assessment of disease history and symptoms, you may be referred for allergy testing: 💧A skin prick test includes dropping a tiny amount of the suspected allergen onto the skin, which is then gently pricked. A small, red swelling similar to a mosquito bite means you could have an allergy to that substance. 🩸A blood test measures specific antibodies produced in the body to help confirm the diagnosis – alone or as a supplement to a skin prick test. If you experience severe allergy symptoms, lasting longer than the average cold, now is a good time to reach out to your doctor to get tested for allergy and discuss potential symptom management options. #allergyawareness #allergy #pharma #qualityoflife #diagnosis

”If you want to develop as a leader, you have a great opportunity in this company.” 🌟 Anne Præsttun joined ALK Norway in 2019 as a Sales Manager, looking for a smaller-sized, global pharmaceutical company with a great purpose and an ambitious sales team to lead: “I am a salesperson and a leader by heart. In a purposeful organisation like ALK, I saw an opportunity to drive and grow a dedicated team while functioning as an extended arm towards both doctors and people living with allergy.” During the past five years, Anne has successfully grown her team and their performance, while also evolving as a leader, taking on a now role of Senior Sales Manager. A collaborative and trustful spirit at ALK has played a significant role in this development: “Throughout my time with ALK, I have experienced a great sense of support, trust, and freedom to lead my team the way that I find to be best. This has allowed me to develop and use my knowledge within situational leadership to motivate each member of my team individually, while ensuring great collaboration.”  “I am highly inspired by our collaborative, trustful, and innovative spirit. We continuously optimise our ways of working to find new, innovative solutions to implement across our global organisation.”  Anne is eager to continue developing each team member in their desired professional directions, while ensuring cross-functional collaboration to feed the ‘what if we did it differently’ spirit, ultimately allowing ALK to help many more people with allergy.  #innovation #professionaldevelopment #careers #leadership #salesmanagement 

At ALK, we’re dedicated to innovating and optimising our ways of working to ensure a responsible use of nature’s resources. 🌍 At our production site in Idaho, USA, where we produce house dust mite allergens, we recently implemented an initiative to reduce CO2 consumption. We investigated the possibility of storing the house dust mite media in the ambient warehouse environment instead of in large freezers that both use a lot of CO2 and are costly to run. The result was positive, and by avoiding these huge freezers, we save an approximate 50 tonnes of CO2 per year. 👏 Kim Wochner, Senior Director, responsible for Lean and Environmental, Health and Safety in our product supply division, says: “This project was developed and executed by our employees at the Idaho site and shows our passion for sustainability, innovation and optimisation. Even the smallest initiatives can drive significant sustainable improvements, and we are continuously on the lookout for even more improvement initiatives that can support our sustainability agenda and at the same time improve costs.” In the photo, some of the driving forces behind the project (from the left): Raven Forrest Fruscalzo, development scientist, Kevin Skinfill, business improvement manager, Jacob Goodwin, warehouse manager. #TeamALK #sustainability #gogreen #saveCO2 #allergy

Happy 10-year anniversary to our colleagues in Kraków! 🎈 From humble beginnings in a hotel room to a bustling hub supporting the entire, global ALK organisation. ALK’s Kraków office, our Global Business Service Centre, marks its 10-year anniversary this year. "10 years ago, the first four employees joined ALK in Kraków in a temporary hotel room. Today, we’re 85 dedicated employees located here, serving all of ALK across areas spanning IT, HR, and commercial operations. We've grown from a local accountant team focusing on supporting our European affiliates to a team of global specialists with a wealth of knowledge and unique roles,” Bogumiła Oleksiak, Director of ALK Poland, says. The 10-year milestone was recently celebrated and Claus Steensen Sølje, CFO, joined the festive day: "It was a pleasure to join the celebration of the anniversary together with so many competent colleagues who add great value to our organisation every day. I’m proud of what they have achieved so far.” Lika Thiesen, EVP of Global People and Organisation also took part in the festivities: “The Kraków team's dedication and skills are pivotal to ALK's continued optimisation journey. It’s been a pleasure celebrating them. I look forward to even more advancements in Kraków in the future," Lika says. Here's to our Kraków team and the significant role the Global Business Service Centre plays in helping many more people with allergy. 📸: Bogumiła Oleksiak, Director of ALK Poland, and Jesper Vestergaard, Senior Vice President of Global Finance. #servicecentre #allergy #pharma #businessexcellence #anniversary

Why is quality such an essential priority at a pharmaceutical company like ALK?  Quality is a well-integrated part of our culture and entire value chain at ALK. It must be, because it provides a crucial safety net for our patients and is pivotal for our growth. Shawn Kearns is the Plant Manager at ALK’s production site in New York, USA, and his team provide an example of how quality assurance is included in every step of the production processes at ALK: “Across our global sites, it is an essential priority to ensure that our systems, processes, and source materials lead us to develop products that meet the rightfully tight regulations of the industry. At our site in New York, quality controls and tests are involved throughout our entire process from receiving the source materials like grass or birch pollen from our production site in Post Falls, Idaho to labelling and packaging the final products,” Kearns says.   Collaboration across functions and national borders is a vital part of ensuring that our ways of working are constantly optimised to maintain high standards of quality: “A strong quality culture is our license to operate. It’s the backbone of our company and part of our heritage at ALK. Through valuable collaborations across our global organisation, we continue to strengthen the foundation that quality provides for us to be able to help many more people living with allergy.” #qualityassurance #qualitycontrol #allergy #pharma #culture