In the spring Nordiske Hormonlaboratorie started the production of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) on rented 60 square metres in an old factory building in Malmö, Sweden. The ACTH came from local hog pituitaries which were richer in ACTH than other domestic species and furthermore hog slaughterhouses in the region were well organised.
Eva Frandsen who had experience with other peptide hormones from her time in Stockholm with Pharmacia and Organon led the production after having set up the same production the previous year with partners in Copenhagen. She was soon assisted by Helmer Hagstam, who later on became Ferring’s head of production and technical director for many years.
The appearance of ACTH and the adrenal cortical hormones on the drug market was the beginning of antimmune therapy and offered new possibilities for treating antimmune diseases. This resulted in an enormous amount of work in clinical development of the ACTH and new indications were added steadily. Dr. Paulsen headed up this work and he benefited from his good connections with Swedish doctors during many years.