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ZEAL on Nasdaq Copenhagen A/S

Zealand Pharma

Logo: Zealand Pharma A/S, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons5

Danish biotechnology research company

Zealand Pharma A/S is a Danish biotechnology research company, which designs and develops peptide-based medicines, mainly focusing on metabolic diseases like diabetes and obesity. The company's head office is situated in Søborg near Copenhagen, and it has close to 200 employees. In 2018, they opened a subsidiary in the US.3 Its chief executive is Britt Meelby Jensen (since 2015).1 Its revenue was DKK 343 million in 2023.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

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Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

292.6MRevenue, fiscal 20216
-1.0BNet income, fiscal 20216
1998Founded1

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  • TickerZEAL on Nasdaq Copenhagen A/S1
  • Industrypharmaceutical industry1
  • HeadquartersGlostrup1
  • Websitewww.zealandpharma.com
  • Legal formaktieselskab1
  • Incorporated inDenmark7
  • Business addressSydmarken 11, 2860 Soeborg, Copenhagen, G7 000007
  • Filer categoryLarge accelerated filer7
  • LEI549300ITBB1ULBL4CZ124
  • StatusActive4
  • LEI statusIssued and current4
  • Registered addressSydmarken 11, 2860 Søborg, Denmark4
  • Registered withDanish Business Authority, 200450784

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Zealand Pharma A/S is a Danish biotechnology research company, which designs and develops peptide-based medicines, mainly focusing on metabolic diseases like diabetes and obesity. The company's head office is situated in Søborg near Copenhagen, and it has close to 200 employees. In 2018, they opened a subsidiary in the US. Zealand Pharma forms part of the Danish-Swedish life science cluster Medicon Valley.3

Financials

From the company’s reports to the SEC. Every number links to the filing it came from. Figures are in DKK, the currency the company reports in.

Key numbers, fiscal 2021

59.4%Gross margin6
-359.7%Operating margin6
-348.0%Net margin6
-17.2%Revenue growth, 20216
-109.7%Return on equity6
0.11×Debt to equity6
-1.2B DKKFree cash flow6

Where the money goes

Where each dollar of revenue went, fiscal 2021

  • Research and development97¢588.5M DKK
  • Interest3¢15.8M DKK

Out of 292.6M DKK in revenue.6 The company lost money this year.

Financial statements

Revenue6292.6M DKK in 2021+608% since 2019
0100.0M DKK200.0M DKK300.0M DKK400.0M DKK2019: 41.3M DKK41.3M DKK20192020: 353.3M DKK353.3M DKK2020+755%2021: 292.6M DKK292.6M DKK2021−17%
Gross profit6173.8M DKK in 2021+325% since 2019
0100.0M DKK200.0M DKK300.0M DKK2019: 40.9M DKK40.9M DKK20192020: 262.7M DKK262.7M DKK2020+542%2021: 173.8M DKK173.8M DKK2021−34%
Operating income6-1.1B DKK in 2021+79% since 2019
-1.5B DKK-1.0B DKK-500.0M DKK02019: -587.9M DKK-587.9M DKK20192020: -792.4M DKK-792.4M DKK2020+35%2021: -1.1B DKK-1.1B DKK2021+33%
Net income6-1.0B DKK in 2021+78% since 2019
-1.5B DKK-1.0B DKK-500.0M DKK02019: -571.5M DKK-571.5M DKK20192020: -846.7M DKK-846.7M DKK2020+48%2021: -1.0B DKK-1.0B DKK2021+20%
Fiscal year2018201920202021
Revenue41.3M DKK6353.3M DKK6292.6M DKK6
Gross profit40.9M DKK6262.7M DKK6173.8M DKK6
Research and development588.5M DKK6
Operating income-587.9M DKK6-792.4M DKK6-1.1B DKK6
Interest15.8M DKK6
Income before tax-1.0B DKK6
Net income-571.5M DKK6-846.7M DKK6-1.0B DKK6
Earnings per share-17 DKK/shares6-22 DKK/shares6-24 DKK/shares6
Earnings per share (diluted)-17 DKK/shares6-22 DKK/shares6-24 DKK/shares6
Shares (weighted, basic)43.2M shares6
Shares (weighted, diluted)42.9M shares6

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Corporate structure

Zealand Pharma sits at the top of its group. 1 entity, 1 country on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

Major holders of Zealand Pharma

  • Zealand Pharma Søborg, Denmark

Built from parent and subsidiary links from GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (CC0); major holders from Schedules 13D and 13G. Each entity in the chart links to its source.

What it owns

What Zealand Pharma reports owning in its annual reports to the SEC: buildings, land and equipment, real estate and locations, investments, intangible assets and inventory, at the end of its latest fiscal year and a year before.

Property and equipment

ItemLatestA year beforeChange
Property and equipment, net86.5M DKK6 Dec 31, 202185.0M DKK6 Dec 31, 2020+1.7%
Operating-lease assets (leased space)135.0M DKK6 Dec 31, 2021128.0M DKK6 Dec 31, 2020+5.5%

Investments

ItemLatestA year beforeChange
Cash and cash equivalents1.1B DKK6 Dec 31, 2021960.2M DKK6 Dec 31, 2020+17.6%

Intangibles and goodwill

ItemLatestA year beforeChange
Intangible assets, net (excluding goodwill)53.8M DKK6 Dec 31, 202157.5M DKK6 Dec 31, 2020−6.4%

Inventory

ItemLatestA year beforeChange
Inventory, total118.4M DKK6 Dec 31, 202165.0M DKK6 Dec 31, 2020+82.1%

The story

Zealand Pharma A/S was founded by Bjarne Due Larsen, Lars Hellerung Christiansen, Leif Helth Jensen, Dan Buxbom, and Florian Schönharting in 1997 as Peptide Probe Technologies ApS, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the design and development of peptide-based medicine.

In 1998, the company changed its name to Zealand Pharma ApS following the addition of several new members, including Eva Steiness and former Lundbeck personnel. Eva Steiness was appointed CEO when the company was restructured into a stock corporation, Zealand Pharma A/S, in the spring of 1999.

In 2005, Zealand Pharma tried to be listed on the stock exchange, but had to resign for want of interest from investors. In 2010, they finally succeeded in being listed, and the stocks are now traded at the Copenhagen Stock Exchange (NASDAQ OMX København).

On January 15, 2015, Britt Meelby Jensen acquired the position as CEO from David Solomon, who had led the company during the years 2008–2014. In February 2019, Jensen left her position, and in April 2019, Emmanuel Dulac was chosen and inaugurated as CEO. Dulac has worked both European and American companies within the pharmaceutical industry.

In September 2019, the Dutch family foundation Van Herk Investments injected 560 million Danish Kroner (approx. 64 million pound sterling) into Zealand Pharma, which means the foundation owns a fifth of the company's shares. In October 2019, Zealand Pharma bought up the Canadian biotechnology company Encycle Therapeutics.

On March 30, 2022, Dr. Adam Steensberg assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer.

From Wikipedia’s article on Zealand Pharma, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.8

Leadership

Who has led Zealand Pharma, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

Chief executive

  1. Britt Meelby Jensen2015–now
200020052010201520202025

Products and brands

Zealand Pharma does not promote and sell products in the market themselves, however, they form partnerships with several international pharmaceutical companies, who are responsible for placing the products on the market.

Zealand Pharma is mostly known and recognized for the diabetes medication Lyxumia, which has been developed in collaboration with the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi. Since 2014, Zealand Pharma has collaborated with the coronary care unit at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen developing the medication Danegaptid, which should serve the purpose of preventing injuries in the tissue of the heart, frequently seen among angioplasty patients. Furthermore, they are developing several orphan drugs with government assistance.

Because of the acquisition of the Canadian Encycle Therapeutics, Zealand Pharma now also possesses the right to develop and sell the pre-clinical candidate medication ET3764, which is also being developed for the treatment of diseases of the alimentary tract.

Product pipeline — Zealand pharma Archived 2014-10-25 at the Wayback Machine

From Wikipedia’s article on Zealand Pharma, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.8

Subsidiaries and ownership

Owners

From Wikidata.1

Employees over time

  • 20232351

Timeline

  1. Jan 15, 2015New chief executive Britt Meelby Jensen becomes CEO1
  2. 1998Founded Founded1

Filings

28 filings to the SEC since October 2021: 2 annual reports, 1 large holders, 25 other. The latest 20:

  1. Sep 30, 202215F-12B EDGAR
  2. Sep 20, 2022S-8 POS EDGAR
  3. Sep 20, 2022S-8 POS EDGAR
  4. Sep 20, 202225 EDGAR
  5. Sep 7, 20226-K EDGAR
  6. Aug 31, 20226-K EDGAR
  7. Aug 26, 20226-K EDGAR
  8. Aug 10, 20226-K EDGAR
  9. Jun 2, 20226-K EDGAR
  10. May 26, 2022S-8 EDGAR
  11. May 24, 20226-K EDGAR
  12. May 20, 20226-K EDGAR
  13. May 16, 20226-K EDGAR
  14. Apr 22, 20226-K EDGAR
  15. Apr 5, 202220-F/A EDGAR
  16. Mar 30, 20226-K EDGAR
  17. Mar 25, 202220-F EDGAR
  18. Mar 22, 20226-K EDGAR
  19. Mar 15, 20226-K EDGAR
  20. Mar 14, 20226-K EDGAR

The 28 filings since October 2021 can be filtered by form type and year here when JavaScript is on.

Every filing from the last five years, summarized. The full record is on SEC EDGAR.

Major holders

Investors who own more than 5% of the shares must tell the SEC: a 13D if they may seek to influence the company, a 13G if they hold passively.

SEC filer profile

How Zealand Pharma is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, from its EDGAR record and the cover page of its latest annual report.

  • Name on EDGARZealand Pharma A/S2
  • CIK0001674988
  • Filer statusLarge accelerated filer2
  • Incorporated inDenmark2
  • Fiscal year endsDecember 312
  • Industry code (SIC)2834 Pharmaceutical Preparations2
  • Business addressSydmarken 11, 2860 Soeborg, Copenhagen, G7 000002
  • Phone45887736002
  • On EDGAR sinceJun 16, 20162
  • Filings249 in all: 6-K (189), SC 13G/A (9), UPLOAD (7), CORRESP (6), 20-F (5), 20-F/A (4), DRSLTR (4), CT ORDER (3)2
    All 23 form types

    F-1/A (3), DRS/A (2), EFFECT (2), S-8 (2), S-8 POS (2), SC 13G (2), 15F-12B (1), 25 (1), 424B4 (1), 8-A12B (1), CERTNAS (1), DRS (1), F-1 (1), F-1MEF (1), F-3 (1)

  • Latest filingsAnnual report (20-F) Mar 25, 2022

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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