Previously submitted 4 June 2007: Cipralex® demonstrates superiority to duloxetine for acute treatment of depression in new study

A new study published today in the journal Current Medical Research
and Opinion showed that Cipralex® (escitalopram) was superior to
Cymbalta® (duloxetine) in the acute treatment of patients with major
depressive disorder (MDD) and was at least as efficacious in
long-term treatment. The study directly compared Cipralex® (an
allosteric serotonin reuptake inhibitor - ASRI) to duloxetine (a
serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor - SNRI) and also
demonstrated that Cipralex® was better tolerated, with fewer patients
discontinuing treatment with Cipralex® due to adverse events compared
to duloxetine.

Depression is a serious illness that results in significant
disability and is associated with both increased morbidity and the
risk of suicide. Affecting around 121 million people globally, the
World Health Organization lists depression as the leading cause of
disability worldwide."Cipralex® is an effective and well-tolerated drug for the treatment
of depression and a wide range of anxiety disorders," said Senior
Vice President Anders Gersel Pedersen, Head of Development at
Lundbeck. "These new data provide further evidence of the strong
efficacy and tolerability profile of Cipralex® compared to other
antidepressants in the treatment of depression."

About the clinical study
The study was designed to look at the efficacy and tolerability of
Cipralex® compared to duloxetine in patients with moderate to severe
MDD over 24 weeks, with a secondary endpoint at eight weeks (acute
treatment).

The double-blind, fixed-dose, comparative study included 294 patients
with MDD from 35 centres in nine countries. Patients were randomised
to either Cipralex® (n=143) or duloxetine (n=151), at dosing regimens
currently recommended in the package inserts in participating
countries (Cipralex® 20mg, duloxetine 60mg).

Patients were evaluated using the MADRS rating scale from baseline to
week 24.  Efficacy and tolerability were assessed at baseline and
after 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 weeks; a safety follow-up visit
was performed at 28 weeks.

The 24-week study found that:


  * Patients taking Cipralex® demonstrated significantly greater
    improvement in depression symptoms at week eight (acute
    treatment) than patients taking duloxetine. This superiority was
    evident after the first week of treatment and was maintained at
    all time points until week 16 (p<0.05)



  * Cipralex® was at least as effective as duloxetine at 24 weeks of
    treatment, the primary endpoint of the study (p=0.055, Cipralex®
    being numerically better than duloxetine)



  * Patients treated with Cipralex® showed significantly better
    functioning in their work, family and social life at week eight
    and week 24, compared to duloxetine



  * Cipralex® was better tolerated than duloxetine. Significantly
    more duloxetine patients withdrew from the study due to adverse
    events than those treated with Cipralex® (17 percent versus nine
    percent respectively)



  * A post-hoc analysis of the study revealed that 68.8 percent of
    patients had an early onset of response with Cipralex® compared
    to only 54.8 percent of duloxetine-treated patients



About depression
Depression is a very common, debilitating illness affecting around
121 million people worldwide. The symptoms of depression can be
chronic or recurrent, and impact patients both mentally and
physically. Depression has a significant impact on patient quality of
life and imposes a considerable burden on society, yet it is still
underrecognised and undertreated with less than 25 percent of those
affected having access to effective treatment.

Symptoms include feelings of hopelessness, sadness, guilt, loss of
interest in activities, decreased energy, poor concentration,
persistent physical symptoms such as headache and digestive
disorders, and in more severe cases, suicidal thoughts and suicide
attempts.


The content of this release will have no influence on the Lundbeck
Group's financial result for 2007.


Lundbeck contacts


Investors:                  Media:
Jacob Tolstrup              Caroline Broge
Investor Relations Manager, Media Relations Manager
North America               +45 36 43 26 38
+1 201 350 0187


                      ________________________

Release no. 276 - 4 June 2007

About Lundbeck
H. Lundbeck A/S is an international pharmaceutical company engaged in
the research and development, production, marketing and sale of
pharmaceuticals for the treatment of psychiatric and neurological
disorders. In 2006, the company's revenue was DKK 9.2 billion
(approximately EUR 1.2 billion or USD 1.6 billion). The number of
employees is approx. 5300 globally. For more information, please
visit www.lundbeck.com.