11 sizzling biotech firms in Denmark that needs to be in your radar

Identified for being one of many happiest nations on this planet, Denmark has now turn into a major hub for biotech in Europe. In the previous few years, the nation’s life sciences sector has accelerated its output of high-quality analysis, and the nation presently ranks sixteenth globally for organic sciences-related output in 2026.  

Following the instance of Danish pharma large Novo Nordisk – which by itself helped to lift Denmark’s gross home product (GDP) after the success of its weight reduction drug Wegovy – many biotech firms in Denmark are striving to deliver forth the following large breakthrough within the biopharma trade.   

On this article, we look at 11 of the very best biotech firms primarily based in Denmark.  

Adcendo  

Know-how: Antibody-drug conjugates  Illness space: Oncology  Latest information: Raised $75 million in collection C funding 

Adcendo is advancing a pipeline of first- and best-in-class antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) throughout stable epithelial tumors and most cancers with mesenchymal origin, with three packages in scientific improvement and extra discovery property progressing towards IND research. 

The corporate’s three packages are: ADCE-T02, concentrating on tissue issue, which is overexpressed in a broad vary of stable tumors, together with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, colorectal most cancers and non-small cell lung most cancers; ADCE-D01, concentrating on uPARAP, which is overexpressed in excessive unmet want cancers, together with tender tissue sarcoma and different cancers of mesenchymal origin; and ADCE-B05, the goal for which is undisclosed, and it’s presently being evaluated preclinically in squamous cell stable tumors. 

ADCE-T02 is presently being evaluated as a monotherapy in a section 1 trial in sufferers with superior stable tumors. The primary sufferers have already been enrolled within the cohort growth portion throughout a number of stable tumor indications. In the meantime, ADCE-D01 is presently being evaluated as a monotherapy in a section 1 examine in sufferers with metastatic and/or unresectable tender tissue sarcoma, and was not too long ago granted quick monitor designation and orphan drug designation by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA). 

In April 2026, the Danish ADC firm introduced that it had raised $75 million in collection C funding to assist the development of its packages by upcoming scientific milestones.  

Antag Therapeutics   

Know-how: Peptide therapies  Illness space: Weight problems  Latest information: Efficiently accomplished section 1 trial of lead candidate AT-7687  

Weight problems-focused firm Antag Therapeutics is engaged on the event of peptide therapies concentrating on the GIP receptor (GIPR). GIP is an incretin hormone launched by the small gut in response to meals consumption that performs an important function within the regulation of insulin secretion, glucose metabolism, and fats storage. By concentrating on this hormone, Antag is aiming for higher weight reduction and metabolic advantages with out widespread unwanted side effects like these attributable to GLP-1-based therapies, similar to tolerability points and lack of muscle mass.   

The corporate’s lead candidate, AT7687, is a peptide designed as a monotherapy or to be co-administered with present or future weight problems therapies, together with GLP-1 medicines, to ship superior weight reduction and metabolic advantages. A section 1 trial for the candidate has been efficiently accomplished, by which the drug demonstrated a positive security and tolerability profile throughout each single ascending dose and a number of ascending dose cohorts. Antag mentioned it expects to start out a section 2a examine very quickly, in mid-2026. 

In December 2024, the Denmark-based biotech firm secured €80 million ($84 million) in a collection A financing spherical, which was led by Versant Ventures and included participation from founding investor Novo Holdings, amongst others.   

Ascendis Pharma   

Platform know-how: TransCon  Illness areas: Endocrinology, uncommon ailments, and oncology  Latest information: Acquired FDA approval for YUVIWEL for kids with achondroplasia 

Ascendis Pharma is a biotech firm primarily based in Hellerup, Denmark, centered on the event of improved therapies that tackle unmet medical wants. The corporate has a platform know-how known as TransCon, which permits it to decelerate the discharge of a drug as soon as contained in the physique, considerably decreasing the frequency of injections wanted to deal with a power situation.   

TransCon refers to “transient conjugation,” which is the power to briefly hyperlink an inert service to a father or mother drug with identified biology. Relying on the service used, TransCon prodrugs might be designed to behave systemically or regionally, centered on assembly a particular therapeutic objective. TransCon is extensively relevant to proteins, peptides, or small molecules in a number of therapeutic areas.  

Ascendis has a pipeline centered on oncology and uncommon ailments involving endocrinology. In 2021, it had its first product authorized by the FDA, named SKYTROFA, which is a therapy for pediatric development hormone deficiency. Individuals with this uncommon illness require day by day injections, and lots of sufferers are identified to skip doses in the course of the week because of the excessive frequency required. In distinction, Ascendis’ therapy should solely be taken as soon as every week, decreasing the burden for sufferers.   

Ascendis additionally introduced in 2023 that the European Fee had authorized one other considered one of its merchandise, known as YORVIPATH, for the therapy of adults with power hypoparathyroidism, a uncommon situation the place the parathyroid glands, that are within the neck close to the thyroid gland, produce too little parathyroid hormone. The FDA then adopted go well with in 2024 by approving YORVIPATH within the U.S. Most not too long ago, in February 2026, the FDA additionally authorized Ascendis’ YUVIWEL, making it the primary once-weekly therapy indicated to extend linear development in youngsters two years of age and older with achondroplasia (a genetic skeletal dysplasia attributable to an FGFR3 mutation that inhibits bone development on the development plates) with open epiphyses, and the one therapy to offer steady systemic publicity to C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) –  a potent signaling protein that stimulates bone development – over the weekly dosing interval. 

Bavarian Nordic   

Illness space: Infectious ailments  Latest information: Acquired approval in Canada for chikungunya vaccine VIMKUNYA  

Bavarian Nordic is a pioneer within the vaccine area and has constructed its basis round poxviral-based vaccine platform applied sciences, specifically, its proprietary know-how Modified Vaccinia Ankara – Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN). MVA-BN is an adaptable platform appropriate for addressing all kinds of infectious ailments and cancers. It’s a additional attenuated model of the Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) virus, which is a extremely attenuated pressure of the poxvirus Chorioallantois Vaccinia virus Ankara (CVA).  

The corporate is a worldwide chief in smallpox vaccines and has been a long-term provider to the U.S. authorities of a non-replicating smallpox vaccine, which has been authorized by the FDA, and can be meant to shield in opposition to monkeypox. The vaccine can be authorized as a smallpox and monkeypox vaccine in Canada and as a smallpox vaccine in Europe.   

Extra not too long ago, Bavarian Nordic additionally acquired FDA approval for its virus-like particle single-dose chikungunya (a virus unfold by mosquitoes that may trigger signs like fever and joint ache) vaccine, offered below the model title VIMKUNYA. It’s the first chikungunya vaccine authorized for folks as younger as 12 years outdated, addressing an unmet want for chikungunya prevention for youthful vacationers. The corporate’s vaccine additionally acquired approval on the finish of final month in Canada, marking the fifth approval total for VIMKUNYA.  

Genmab  

Know-how: Antibody therapies   Illness space: Oncology  Latest information: Acquired European Fee approval for TEPKINLY together with lenalidomide and rituximab for follicular lymphoma. 

Based in 1999 in Denmark, worldwide biotech firm Genmab has invented next-generation antibody know-how platforms and leveraged translational, quantitative, and information sciences, leading to a pipeline together with bispecific antibodies and ADCs geared toward tackling most cancers. To assist develop and ship these novel antibody therapies to sufferers, Genmab has fashioned greater than 20 strategic partnerships with biotech and pharma firms, similar to AbbVie, Janssen, Amgen, and BioNTech.   

The corporate already has eight of its merchandise available on the market. Its most up-to-date approval got here in the beginning of this month after the European Fee granted advertising authorization for TEPKINLY (epcoritamab) together with lenalidomide and rituximab for the therapy of grownup sufferers with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma. Epcoritamab has already acquired regulatory approval in sure lymphoma indications in additional than 65 territories, and is being co-developed with AbbVie as a part of the businesses’ oncology collaboration. The businesses share business tasks within the U.S. and Japan, with AbbVie liable for additional world commercialization. 

The firm additionally opened a brand new web site final yr in New Jersey to develop its U.S. presence and to turn into a totally built-in biotech firm that may additionally commercialize and ship its medication to sufferers quite than counting on exterior firms to take action.   

Gubra  

Know-how: Peptide therapies  Illness areas: Metabolic and fibrotic ailments  Latest information: Submitted a scientific trial utility in Germany for a section 1/2a trial of inside lead candidate GUB-UCN2 

Organized into three most important enterprise areas – biotech, CRO, and ventures – Gubra is ready to generate a gentle money circulate from its CRO enterprise whereas investing in high-impact biotech analysis and improvement (R&D) initiatives with important worth inflection potential by partnerships. The corporate has round 300 staff and had a income of DKK 2.6 billion (round $400 million) in 2025. 

Gubra’s lead inside program, GUB-UCN2, is predicated on a differentiated CRHR2-selective mechanism designed to ship enchancment of bodily perform and preservation or enhance of muscle mass in sufferers present process incretin-based weight reduction therapy. In February 2026, the corporate submitted a scientific trial utility in Germany for a section 1/2a trial designed to judge security, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and preliminary efficacy of GUB-UCN2 with a selected concentrate on muscle quantity and muscle perform endpoints.  

The Danish biotech firm additionally has three important scientific partnered property in improvement. The primary candidate, now known as ABBV-295, is a long-acting amylin analog. In March 2025, Gubra introduced a license settlement with AbbVie to develop the candidate. In response to a latest replace, AbbVie reported encouraging section 1 information for the asset, demonstrating dose-dependent and extremely aggressive weight reduction approaching 10% over 12-13 weeks in a predominantly male, non-obese inhabitants. Gubra said that these outcomes are promising, and it seems ahead to AbbVie advancing the continuing section 1b examine in overweight sufferers, in addition to initiating section 2 of scientific improvement in Q3 2026. 

The second asset is a triple agonist that’s absolutely outlicensed to Boehringer Ingelheim. The 2 firms introduced the launch of a section 1 examine for it in July 2024, with the initiation of the trial releasing a milestone cost to Gubra. Boehringer is now progressing this system to section 2 beginning in mid 2026. In the meantime, the third asset, AMX0318, a long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor antagonist, is being developed by Gubra’s accomplice Amylyx Pharmaceutical, which introduced its choice as a improvement candidate for post-bariatric hypoglycemia (PBH) and different uncommon ailments with an IND focused for 2027. 

MinervaX  

Illness space: Infectious ailments  Latest information: Entered into settlement with Wacker Biotech to fabricate energetic protein substances for GBS vaccine  

As an antibiotic resistance firm primarily based in Copenhagen, Denmark, biotech MinervaX was established to create a prophylactic vaccine in opposition to group B Streptococcus (GBS) primarily based on analysis from Lund College. It’s engaged on the event of a GBS vaccine for maternal immunization since GBS could cause a probably deadly an infection in new child infants. There are presently no authorized vaccines obtainable for GBS. 

MinervaX’s candidate is a protein-only vaccine primarily based on fusions of extremely immunogenic and protecting protein domains from chosen floor proteins of GBS.  Given the broad distribution of proteins contained within the vaccine on GBS strains globally, the corporate expects that its vaccine will provide safety in opposition to just about 100% of all GBS isolates. 

Two section 2 trials of the vaccine have been efficiently accomplished, with information exhibiting an appropriate security profile in pregnant girls and their infants, in addition to excessive immunogenicity, resulting in functionally energetic antibodies with the potential for broad protection and safety, in the end assuaging the necessity for extreme use of antibiotics.  

Alongside its maternal program, the Denmark-based biotech can be advancing the event of its vaccine in older adults, having not too long ago accomplished a section 1 trial. 

In 2023, MinervaX raised €54 million ($58.9 million) in upsized financing. In the meantime, in 2024, the corporate additionally entered into an settlement with the CDMO Wacker Biotech to fabricate its energetic protein substances for its GBS vaccine.   

Muna Therapeutics   

Know-how: Small molecule therapies  Illness space: Neurodegenerative ailments  Latest information: Was awarded a $1 million analysis grant from the Alzheimer’s Affiliation to assist the continuing section 1 trial of lead candidate MNA-001 

Launched by Novo Holdings in 2021 with $73 million in collection A funding, Muna Therapeutics is targeted on the event of small molecule therapies for neurodegenerative ailments, together with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s illness. The corporate was fashioned by the mix of two European startup firms: Muna and K5 Therapeutics.  

Muna’s portfolio of disease-modifying small molecule potential therapies consists of two packages that tackle the features of a key cell kind, known as microglia, which reply to and exacerbate neurodegeneration and compromise neuronal perform. Its lead asset, MNA-001, is a small-molecule TREM2 agonist that’s finishing section 1 of improvement and is on monitor to start section 2 testing in early Alzheimer’s sufferers in early 2027. 

In December 2024, Muna entered into a strategic alliance with GSK to determine and validate novel drug targets for the therapy of Alzheimer’s. As a part of the settlement, the 2 firms mentioned they’d discover insights from Muna’s MiND-MAP platform, which applies spatial transcriptomics to mind samples from Alzheimer’s illness sufferers, cognitively resilient people, wholesome controls, and centenarians with and with out cognitive impairment.  

The Danish biotech firm awarded a $1 million analysis grant in January from the Alzheimer’s Affiliation to assist its ongoing section 1 trial of MNA-001. 

ReproNovo 

Know-how: Small molecules Illness areas: Fertility and girls’s well being Latest information: Dosed first affected person in EU section 2 trial of RPN-002 for embryo implantation 

With its major improvement workforce primarily based in Copenhagen, ReproNovo is aiming to deal with essential gaps in female and male fertility, in addition to girls’s well being. The corporate’s scientific packages prioritize mechanisms concentrating on organic drivers of infertility not adequately addressed by current interventions. In the meantime, its girls’s well being analysis goals to develop therapy choices for circumstances affecting girls of reproductive age, with adenomyosis representing its first therapeutic focus. 

The Denmark-based biotech firm has two property in scientific improvement. The primary, RPN-001 (leflutrozole), is presently being evaluated in a section 2 trial within the U.S. in males with low sperm rely and low testosterone. The candidate is an aromatase inhibitor that has the potential to induce and enhance sperm manufacturing and thereby improve the provision of sperm for fertility therapy and pure conception. By inhibiting the aromatase enzyme, it suppresses the conversion of testosterone to estradiol, in flip rising testosterone ranges and rebalancing the testosterone to estradiol ratio. 

ReproNovo’s second candidate, RPN-002 (nolasiban), is an oxytocin receptor antagonist being developed for embryo implantation and for the administration of adenomyosis. The corporate introduced on July 6 that the primary participant had been dosed in its EU section 2 scientific trial of RPN-002 for embryo implantation. The examine is evaluating two dosing regimens of the asset on uterine contractility and endocrine parameters.  

In Could 2025, ReproNovo raised $65 million in collection A funding to assist it advance its pipeline. 

Vesper Bio 

Know-how: Small molecules Illness space: Neurological ailments Latest information: Secured a $2.5 million strategic funding from the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Basis and The Affiliation for Frontotemporal Degeneration. 

Vesper Bio is growing small molecule-based selective sortilin inhibitors as novel oral therapies for neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric ailments. Its lead compound, VES001, is a brain-penetrant, oral therapy that targets progranulin deficiency, a serious underlying reason for a genetically pushed kind of frontotemporal degeneration.  

VES001 works by selectively stopping the degradation of progranulin whereas preserving sortilin ranges and features essential for neuronal well being, in distinction to antibody-mediated degradation of sortilin. With VES001, Vesper goals to normalize ranges of progranulin and cut back neuroinflammation and illness development in each asymptomatic and symptomatic sufferers. 

In October 2025, the corporate introduced constructive section 1b/2a topline outcomes for VES001, which led to a greater than 95% imply enhance in progranulin ranges in comparison with baseline. It additionally had a positive security and tolerability profile in the course of the three-month day by day dosing routine, with few opposed occasions reported.  

In November 2025, the Danish biotech additionally secured a $2.5 million strategic funding from the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Basis and The Affiliation for Frontotemporal Degeneration. 

Zealand Pharma  

Know-how: Peptide therapies  Illness space: Weight problems  Latest information: Constructive topline section 3 outcomes have been introduced for Boehringer Ingelheim-partnered candidate survodutide 

Engaged on the event of next-generation peptide therapeutics, Zealand Pharma is targeted on therapies for varied indications, together with the extraordinarily well-liked area of weight problems.  

The Danish biotech firm’s two most superior candidates are petrelintide and survodutide. Petrelintide is a long-acting amylin analog designed for weight administration. Zealand Pharma entered into a collaboration and license settlement with Roche by which the 2 firms are co-developing and co-commercializing petrelintide as each a standalone remedy and as a fixed-dose mixture with Roche’s lead incretin asset CT-388. Constructive topline section 2 outcomes have been introduced for the candidate in March, because it achieved an as much as 10.7% imply physique weight discount at week 42 versus 1.7% with placebo.  

Survodutide, in the meantime, is a long-acting, glucagon/GLP-1 receptor twin agonist designed to leverage the physique weight discount and glycemic management of GLP-1 receptors with some exercise on the glucagon receptors, that are current within the liver. The drug is licensed to Boehringer Ingelheim, with the large pharma solely liable for improvement and commercialization globally, whereas Zealand has co-promotion rights within the Nordic nations.  

In April, Boehringer introduced constructive topline outcomes from the section 3 examine of the candidate, as adults dwelling with weight problems or obese, with out kind 2 diabetes, who have been handled with survodutide, skilled sustained weight lack of as much as a median of 16.6% after 76 weeks. 

Denmark: A small nation with a mighty biotech sector   

Though Denmark is considered one of Europe’s smaller nations, it has a particularly well-established life sciences sector, and is residence to a number of main worldwide pharmaceutical firms, in addition to modern biotech firms like these talked about on this article – lots of that are following within the footsteps of Danish large Novo Nordisk in growing weight problems candidates.  

Denmark’s authorities invests considerably in analysis and improvement (R&D) within the nation; it funds the educational sector, in addition to the Danish Nationwide Analysis Basis, which is an unbiased research-funding physique established by the Danish parliament in 1991. In 2024, the Danish authorities additionally launched the “Technique for Life Science In the direction of 2030” imaginative and prescient, which goals to comprehend the trade’s potential in direction of 2030, in flip exhibiting the federal government’s dedication to the trade.   

On high of presidency funding, there’s additionally a substantial quantity of worldwide funding within the sector. Finally, the mixture of private and non-private funding is a significant component within the latest success of Denmark’s biotech trade.