He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Uppsala University in Sweden in 2003 and received the Fernström Prize in 1993 and the Jahre Prize in 1988.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, November 08, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ — Jan M. Lundberg has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Dr. Lundberg has established a distinguished career in the pharmaceutical industry, marked by his expertise in discovering and developing new medicines. His journey began as a professor at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden from 1993 to 1996, where he laid the foundation for his future endeavors in pharmacology. He was also a cofounder of AerocrineAB a biotech company. He then transitioned to Astra AB, serving as head of preclinical research from 1996 to 1999. During this period, he honed his skills in early-stage drug discovery, setting the stage for his subsequent leadership roles.
In 1999, Dr. Lundberg became the global head of discovery research at AstraZeneca, a position he held until 2009. Prominent medicines from AstraZeneca R&D from this period are esomeprazole (Nexium for gastroesophageal reflux), gefitinib (Iressa for non small cell lung cancer with EGFR mutations) and ticagrelor (Brilinta for cardiovascular prevention). The following year, he joined Eli Lilly and Company as president and head of research and development at Lilly Research Labs.
Under his leadership until 2018, an outstanding pipeline was created using the timely valued medicines strategy. This included dulaglutide (Trulicity for diabetes type 2), tirzepatide (Mounjaro for diabetes type 2 and Zepbound for obesity), ixekizumab (Taltz for autoimmune disease) and donanemab (Kisunla for Alzheimer’s). The pipeline success, mainly of internal origin supplemented by selected partnering (Jardiance from Boeringer-Ingelheim oral product for diabetes type 2) sparked a remarkable share price growth and market cap enhancement.
Since retiring in 2018, Dr. Lundberg has continued to impact the field through consulting work and board roles, focusing on prevalent diseases, such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, autoimmune disorders and cancer. His commitment to addressing significant public health challenges remains unwavering. He was part of establishing several cross-industry/ academia collaborations including the Innovative Medicine Initiative, IMI Europe, Accelerating Medicines Partnership with NIH USA and TransCelerate Cross Pharma Collaboration.
Dr. Lundberg’s academic background has been instrumental in his success. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy in pharmacology from Karolinska Institutet and studied medicine at the University of Gothenburg, also in Sweden. He attributes many of his achievements to effective teamwork, a solid foundation of scientific knowledge and patience. He likens the process of drug discovery to fishing, emphasizing the importance of skills, endurance and timing.
Throughout his career, Dr. Lundberg has received numerous accolades for his contributions to science and medicine. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Uppsala University in Sweden in 2003 and received the Fernström Prize in 1993 and the Jahre Prize in 1988. Additionally, he has authored more than 500 publications in high-impact journals, further cementing his influence in the field.
Outside of his professional life, Dr. Lundberg enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, cross-country skiing and other outdoor activities. In the upcoming years, he aims to continue contributing to the development of medicines that address unmet medical needs, driven by his passion for science improving public health outcomes.
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Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who’s Who in America®, Marquis Who’s Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who’s Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who’s Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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