News & Media

Orifarm is proud to sponsor Sport’n’Charity – an organization helping children affected by cancer by offering physical activity known to improve the children's health in this vulnerable time. Orifarm is proud to sponsor Sport’n’Charity who helps children affected by cancer by offering individual training programs suitable to the course of their illness.  Scientific research shows that children and youth affected by cancer who are physically active during and after their cancer treatments can limit the risk of complications, illnesses, and disabilities. Sport’n’Charity is a cause truly close to our hearts in Orifarm. We are united in one, simple purpose: for as many as possible, as healthy a day as possible. “Orifarm exists to bring healthy days to as many as possible. Sport’n’Charity is about just that. Recognizing that we all have different challenges and possibilities, we are more than happy to support the work done by this fantastic organization to enable as healthy a day as possible for children that are fighting to overcome physical challenges second to none. These children are incredible, and we are genuinely proud to support them on this tough journey,” says Erik Sandberg, CEO of Orifarm. In collaboration with physiotherapists and training specialists, a training program is developed individually for every child. This means that the activities are tailored to the child’s course of illness; some train at home and some while in hospital. Research further shows that children affected by cancer who are physically active with others are more motivated to complete the training and do so for a longer period of time, which is why also their families and friends are welcome to join the training program. You can learn more about Sport’n’Charity here (information in Danish): www.sportncharity.dk

Danish pharma company Orifarm, leading in parallel import in the EU and owner of numerous healthcare brands, announces its recent appointment of Birgitte Røddik as new Chief Corporate Compliance Officer. Birgitte Røddik takes on the role of Chief Corporate Compliance Officer in Danish pharma company Orifarm. Holding a Master’s in Science and having held positions in Medtronic and Novo Nordisk, Birgitte Røddik brings valuable insights from the pharmaceutical industry. “I am very happy to welcome Birgitte Røddik to the Orifarm team. Birgitte Røddik joins us with comprehensive experience from the industry, combining the quality function with operational planning and commercial outlook. With this insight, she is to ensure that our high-quality mindset persists throughout our organization, making sure that the quality of Orifarm products is maintained from manufacturer to supplier to end-user. Patient safety is our top priority,” says CEO of Orifarm, Erik Sandberg. With more than 25 years' experience in developing and executing strategy into viable implementation plans and operating models and combining these with quality, regulatory affairs, and operations excellence, Birgitte Røddik seeks to further develop the important compliance function at Orifarm: “Orifarm plays a substantial role in society when it comes to making medicine accessible at affordable costs. I look forward to continuing the work in Corporate Quality Compliance, ensuring that we support the transformation of Orifarm so that Orifarm continues to be a customer-centered and healthy business as well as a great place to work. I look very much forward to collaborating with the competent team in Orifarm and supporting the exciting growth that lies ahead for Orifarm,” Birgitte Røddik says. Birgitte Røddik had her first day at Orifarm on 01 December 2023. She most recently held the position as Partner in consultant agency Valcon.

In November, Orifarm introduced Apovit food supplement at a pharmacy exhibition, attended by nearly 5,500 Finnish pharmacy workers.  The product lines launched are part of the Apovit Immune Boost effervescent tablet series. The Apovit Immune Boost products contain vitamin C and D, and the most popular flavors are made from real ginger and cranberry.  Previously exclusive to Denmark, Apovit's expansion into the Finnish market is a great milestone for Orifarm. We are very excited to introduce this beloved food supplement brand to a whole new audience.  A big thank you to everyone who played a role in making this launch a resounding success!  Read more about Apovit here: https://orifarmhealth.fi/tuotemerkit/apovit (In Finnish) https://www.apovit.dk/ (In Danish)

Orifarm is donating 4.5 tons of food supplements with short expiry dates to the Danish nonprofit organization Fødevarebanken.   Fødevarebanken fights food waste and food poverty in Denmark by distributing donated food to social organizations who provide care for people in need. “By collaborating with Fødevarebanken food supplements and vitamins that would otherwise be scrapped are put to good use – just as they were intended. The food supplements include products for pregnant women and babies, as well as multivitamins and omega-3 products. At Orifarm, we work to create healthy days for as many as possible. This collaboration is very close to our hearts and DNA,” says Lars Uglebjerg Olsen, Head of Global Innovation, OTC & Consumer Healthcare in Orifarm.  Today, Fødevarebanken collected 23 pallets of food supplements at Orifarm in Odense, Denmark, and we couldn’t be happier to see thousands of packets of great healthcare products being distributed to people in need. 

Closing our Viminco production site in Skælskør, Denmark, we've prioritized comprehensive support for impacted employees. While our outplacement efforts aimed to assist all, it became evident that the outplacement initiatives were not ideal for our colleagues aged 60 and above.  That’s why we're offering a unique opportunity to our colleagues aged 60 and above affected by the closure of the site in Skælskør.  Recognizing their imminent transition into retirement, we've extended a tailored package that allows them to convert various support elements—such as salary increments, stay-on bonuses, outplacement assistance, and educational support—into a prolonged employment period.  This approach allows for transitioning directly from active employment into retirement without the pressure of seeking new job opportunities.  "It is important for us that all of our employees are treated with care and respect, and we are committed to supporting colleagues at every stage of their career – from entry to exit. We experienced that a group of employees would not benefit from the support, so we decided to offer our affected employees aged 60 and above the option to convert the offered support into a longer employment period, allowing them to prolong their employments until their retirement," shares Camilla Risum Amjadi, HR Business Partner in Orifarm.  The employees will have their employment period prolonged, but will be placed on garden leave until the site closes.  Production activities at the Viminco site in Skælskør, Denmark, have ceased, moving operations to other Orifarm production sites in Denmark and Poland. 

The large Danish pharma company Orifarm, leading in parallel import in the EU, has appointed Andreas Friis as its new Chief People Officer. Andreas Friis joins Danish pharmaceutical company Orifarm as Chief People Officer. Having previously held positions in Novo Nordisk for 11 years, Andreas Friis joins Orifarm with experience from the industry, including from pharmaceutical manufacturing at the benefit of Orifarm, who in addition to its support and sales functions also comprise three manufacturing sites globally.  The appointment of Andreas Friis comes at a time when Orifarm following a large acquisition of more than 100 new brands from pharmaceutical company Takeda, and consequently onboarded more than 900 new employees, now looking to develop the people area further to support the overall further development of the company.   “In Orifarm we see our people as our most valuable asset. That is why it has been important to find the right fit, searching for a person who can support Orifarm’s growth journey and assist in developing our organization further. I am very pleased to welcome Andreas Friis to Orifarm. With Andreas, we welcome a highly skilled HR leader, who not only has vast experience from various areas within HR, but who also comes with experience from our industry,” says Erik Sandberg, CEO of Orifarm.  A task Andreas Friis looks forward to undertaking:  “I look very much forward to joining Orifarm, and to assisting in developing the business further. I believe in keeping things simple and dynamic, and I find Orifarm’s founders’ mindset of entrepreneurship and maneuverability as a good point of departure in doing so,” says Andreas Friis.  Andreas Friis has his first day at Orifarm on 01 December 2023. He recently held a position as Responsible for People & Organization in the large Danish food company Danish Crown.

As the largest life science company in Funen, we want to create an even stronger foothold for the industry in Funen, which is currently home to over 40 companies in the life science sector.   Therefore, we have joined forces with a number of other Funen life science companies in the association Life Science Funen, where Andreas Søderman, who is the head of Medical Affairs at Orifarm, is a member of the board.  Since our humble beginnings in 1994, Orifarm has grown rapidly and we now employ 2300 employees, of which about 700 work in Odense. To fulfill our ambition for continued growth, it is crucial to be able to attract strong competencies to our employee group.  “Our employees are our most important resource to be able to fulfill our ambitions for the future. Denmark generally has a strong position in pharma and the industry is in continued growth. We constantly need qualified employees. This applies of course to the health sector, but also within other areas such as IT and the commercial area. The joint collaboration in Life Science Funen can help to strengthen the overall life science ecosystem in Funen, thereby assisting in the development and attraction of strong competencies,” says Torsten Laen, Director, People Attraction & Development.  “The collaboration between public and private actors is important to be able to strengthen the life science area. With our location in Odense, we have a good starting point - we are centrally located and have a good collaboration with strong, local actors, including educational institutions and teaching hospitals,” says Torsten Laen.  You can read more about Life Science Funen in this article, in which Andreas Søderman elaborates on the need for competent candidates for the industry (In Danish). 

As one of Europe's major pharmaceutical importers, we are delighted to receive this recognition as part of the Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Awards 2023. Our goal is to make medicines more affordable and accessible to everyone.  To achieve this, we engage in parallel importing, a process where we import original pharmaceuticals from one country, repackage, relabel, and then sell them in another country. This allows us to offer these products at more affordable prices compared to the originals. Parallel imported medicine is the exact same as the original, but in a new package with information leaflets in the patients’ local language.  Through parallel import, we strive to enhance the accessibility and affordability of vital pharmaceuticals for the patients that need them, while also reducing the expense for the public healthcare systems.   We are happy to receive the Best Imported Pharmaceuticals Supplier in Europe 2023 award for our efforts, as recognized by the Global Health & Pharma Magazine in the UK. 

While it is common to meet pharmacists at your local pharmacy, they also play a key role in pharmaceutical companies like Orifarm. Pharmacists are experts in medicine and bring specialized knowledge to ensure the quality and compliance of pharmaceutical products. At Orifarm, pharmacists are appointed in various steps of our distribution process, ensuring that certificates, authorizations and other information is accurate. Pia Andkjær is a Regulatory Affairs Specialist at Orifarm, and as an educated pharmacist she brings relevant pharmaceutical knowledge to her role. Together with her team, Pia is responsible for submitting applications to the local authorities, ensuring that the our products meet the highest standards. Her knowledge and experience with working at a pharmacy brings valuable perspectives into her daily work at Orifarm: “Though being a pharmacist is not a requirement for working as a Regulatory Affairs Specialist, my pharmaceutical background ensures that I understand the content that I work with. Having worked at a pharmacy, I can also see things from the patients’ perspectives, which is crucial in our pursuit of creating healthy days for as many as possible,” says Regulatory Affairs Specialist Pia Andkjær.Pharmacists like Pia are imperative in our work as a pharmaceutical company, and we are proud to have them on our team.