Ballerup, Denmark, 14 April 2025 – LEO Pharma and the Parker Institute at Copenhagen University Hospital have formed an academic partnership to advance research and innovation in medical dermatology. This collaboration aims to produce high-quality research that enhances disease understanding and benefits patients. Furthermore, it aims to discover molecules that could potentially be integrated into broader pharmaceutical research and development efforts.

“We are proud to partner with the Parker Institute in LEO Pharma’s first academic collaboration of this kind, strengthening ties to the academic world to foster innovative research”, said Dr. Jacob Pontoppidan Thyssen, Chief Scientific Officer & Executive Vice President at LEO Pharma. “While breakthroughs in skin science have improved treatment options, over 1000 skin diseases still lack effective treatments. This partnership is an important step in addressing these unmet needs. By combining our expertise, we aim to positively impact patients worldwide."

The Parker Institute excels in trial design and clinical testing across all phases, from early to late stages, and their expertise spans all forms of analysis. LEO Pharma aims to leverage the Parker Institute’s translational expertise to better understand immunophenotyping and how these insights apply to skin diseases. The Parker Institute’s proficiency in target evaluation and disease understanding will add significantly to LEO Pharma's research efforts.

Additionally, the Parker Institute's expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) and SingleCell RNA sequencing helps to understand how individual cells behave within the immune system. This advanced method, using AI, allows for a more detailed examination of single-cell data, giving a clearer understanding of how skin diseases work.

Dr. Lars Erik Kristensen, Vice President, Head of External Innovation at LEO Pharma, said, "Having spent several years at the Parker Institute prior to joining LEO Pharma, I have witnessed the dedication and expertise in their research efforts. By partnering with the Parker Institute, we see potential for unlocking new insights and strengthen our ability to advance the standard of care within medical dermatology. Earlier this year, LEO Pharma announced a collaboration with DEBRA Research, and this new partnership with the Parker Institute further reinforces our commitment to also leverage external innovation and use the world as our lab. By joining forces with such a recognized partner, we aim to advance our understanding of skin diseases, improve patient care, and potentially discover molecules that may be involved in wider pharmaceutical research and development initiatives later on."

Henning Bliddal, Head of the Parker Institute, added, "We are thrilled to collaborate with LEO Pharma, a global leader in medical dermatology. We have a shared commitment to advancing medical research and ultimately improving the lives of people suffering from skin diseases such as psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, making LEO Pharma a strong partner for us.”

The partnership between LEO Pharma and the Parker Institute is a 3-year agreement.

Contacts

Lars Erik Kristensen, VP, Head of Innovation

lakrs@leo-pharma.com

About the Parker Institute

The Parker Institute is part of Copenhagen University Hospital at Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg. The Parker Institute strives, through research with focus on locomotory and related disorders, to improve the status of health in the population via prevention at all levels, increasing knowledge of disease mechanisms and diagnostics, and by creating evidence-based treatments. The activities include observations and register based research, analysis of literature, and diagnostic studies of patient-reported outcome measures, clinical tests, imaging with ultrasound and MRI, and biomechanical evaluation, as well as randomised clinical and population interventions. The Institute participates in creation of evidence-based prevention and medicine and in the development of new treatment strategies. The staff counts a broad range of health professionals and scientists, all dedicated to research into clinical advances for patients and disease prevention for the population. For more information, visit www.parker.dk.