I'm very wary of Danish pharma chip shops like $NOVO B etc. 😉 But joking aside, I've never heard of them and I'm also an allergy sufferer
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@Multibagger "Haha, if Novo Nordisk is a 'pharma chip shop', then I'd like to have a whole chain of them in my portfolio!" 😉
But joking aside: the fact that you, as an allergy sufferer, haven't heard of ALK-Abelló is precisely the reason why the share is so exciting. For years, they were more of a 'hidden champion' in the background because doctors administered the immune injections directly in the practice.
However, they are now radically switching to tablets for home use (a kind of subscription model for allergy sufferers) and are launching 'neffy', an adrenaline nasal spray that could replace the classic epi-pen. Take a look at their margins and growth - for a 'chip shop', this is real Danish dynamite! 🇩🇰🚀"
But joking aside: the fact that you, as an allergy sufferer, haven't heard of ALK-Abelló is precisely the reason why the share is so exciting. For years, they were more of a 'hidden champion' in the background because doctors administered the immune injections directly in the practice.
However, they are now radically switching to tablets for home use (a kind of subscription model for allergy sufferers) and are launching 'neffy', an adrenaline nasal spray that could replace the classic epi-pen. Take a look at their margins and growth - for a 'chip shop', this is real Danish dynamite! 🇩🇰🚀"
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•@Raketentoni But the Danish Dynamites have only won the title once!
But what advantage do the tablets from $ALK B have over those available here in Germany from all kinds of manufacturers?
But what advantage do the tablets from $ALK B have over those available here in Germany from all kinds of manufacturers?
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•@Multibagger
Chris, I think we need to make a quick distinction here between 'fire department' and 'fire protection'! 😉
You are probably confusing the classic allergy medications such as Telfast, Cetirizine or Loratadine with what ALK-Abelló does.
* The 'chip shop solution' (symptom relief): Telfast & Co. are antihistamines. You take them when your nose is already running. It's like an umbrella: It keeps you dry as long as it's raining, but it doesn't stop the rain. As soon as the effect wears off, you're wet again.
* The ALK solution (combating causes): What ALK does with its pills is called allergy immunotherapy (AIT). This is not a painkiller, but an 'update' for your immune system. You train your body over three years that pollen is not an enemy. The aim is to heal, not to suppress the symptoms.
Why are the ALK tablets better than the rest in Germany?
In Germany, you often still get classic hyposensitization with injections (SCIT) or drops.
* Injections: You have to go to the doctor every few weeks, sit around, be monitored because of the risk of shock - totally annoying.
* Drops: The dosage is often not stable enough.
* ALK tablets (SLIT): They are so highly standardized that they are the only ones to have passed the extremely tough approval hurdles in the USA (FDA). Pharmaceutically, this is a completely different level than the '08/15 drops' from the local pharmacy.
And while the others are still tinkering with their drops, ALK is launching neffy, the first adrenaline nasal spray for emergencies. If you have this in your cupboard, you no longer need an epi-pen. This isn't small stuff, this is disruption of a billion-dollar market.
Maybe you should take a closer look at the 'Danish Dynamites' before the train leaves without you! 🚂💨
Chris, I think we need to make a quick distinction here between 'fire department' and 'fire protection'! 😉
You are probably confusing the classic allergy medications such as Telfast, Cetirizine or Loratadine with what ALK-Abelló does.
* The 'chip shop solution' (symptom relief): Telfast & Co. are antihistamines. You take them when your nose is already running. It's like an umbrella: It keeps you dry as long as it's raining, but it doesn't stop the rain. As soon as the effect wears off, you're wet again.
* The ALK solution (combating causes): What ALK does with its pills is called allergy immunotherapy (AIT). This is not a painkiller, but an 'update' for your immune system. You train your body over three years that pollen is not an enemy. The aim is to heal, not to suppress the symptoms.
Why are the ALK tablets better than the rest in Germany?
In Germany, you often still get classic hyposensitization with injections (SCIT) or drops.
* Injections: You have to go to the doctor every few weeks, sit around, be monitored because of the risk of shock - totally annoying.
* Drops: The dosage is often not stable enough.
* ALK tablets (SLIT): They are so highly standardized that they are the only ones to have passed the extremely tough approval hurdles in the USA (FDA). Pharmaceutically, this is a completely different level than the '08/15 drops' from the local pharmacy.
And while the others are still tinkering with their drops, ALK is launching neffy, the first adrenaline nasal spray for emergencies. If you have this in your cupboard, you no longer need an epi-pen. This isn't small stuff, this is disruption of a billion-dollar market.
Maybe you should take a closer look at the 'Danish Dynamites' before the train leaves without you! 🚂💨
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•@Raketentoni I think it's called immunization, isn't it? It has been around for a long time and, as far as I know from experience, does not necessarily guarantee success after 3 years.
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•@Multibagger "Chris, you old fox, you've hit the nail on the head! 😉 But let's sort out the facts before we open the 'Danish chip shop' again:
Vocabulary check: what ALK does is technically not an 'immunization' (like a classic vaccination against measles), but an allergy immunotherapy (AIT). The small but subtle difference: a vaccination is designed to prevent you from getting something in the first place. ALK's AIT is a 'software update' for an immune system that is already programmed completely wrong.
The thing with the guarantee of success: there's never 100% in medicine, that's clear. But ALK is the only company in the world that has an official seal of approval for the 'disease-modifying effect' for its tablets (like Grazax). This is the 'Holy Grail' of pharmaceuticals: it is clinically proven that the effect lasts for years after the end of the 3-year course. In studies, patients still had 30-50% fewer symptoms even after the follow-up and needed far fewer chemical pills.
Why it 'doesn't work' for some: Hand on heart - most 'failures' are due to discipline. With the old injection cures, many stopped after 1.5 years because they didn't want to keep running to the doctor. This is precisely the business case for ALK: you can take the tablets in the comfort of your own home while brushing your teeth. The drop-out rates are much lower, and if you stick with it for 3 years, the effect is statistically extremely stable.
'It's been around for a while': That's right! But ALK has elevated the whole thing from the 'alchemy corner' (individual mixtures in the pharmacy) to industrial high standardization. It's the leap from a flip phone to a smartphone.
And even if there is no 100% guarantee for each individual: The market of millions of allergy sufferers who are fed up with suffering and are willing to pay for this 'subscription' for 3 years is gigantic.
Vocabulary check: what ALK does is technically not an 'immunization' (like a classic vaccination against measles), but an allergy immunotherapy (AIT). The small but subtle difference: a vaccination is designed to prevent you from getting something in the first place. ALK's AIT is a 'software update' for an immune system that is already programmed completely wrong.
The thing with the guarantee of success: there's never 100% in medicine, that's clear. But ALK is the only company in the world that has an official seal of approval for the 'disease-modifying effect' for its tablets (like Grazax). This is the 'Holy Grail' of pharmaceuticals: it is clinically proven that the effect lasts for years after the end of the 3-year course. In studies, patients still had 30-50% fewer symptoms even after the follow-up and needed far fewer chemical pills.
Why it 'doesn't work' for some: Hand on heart - most 'failures' are due to discipline. With the old injection cures, many stopped after 1.5 years because they didn't want to keep running to the doctor. This is precisely the business case for ALK: you can take the tablets in the comfort of your own home while brushing your teeth. The drop-out rates are much lower, and if you stick with it for 3 years, the effect is statistically extremely stable.
'It's been around for a while': That's right! But ALK has elevated the whole thing from the 'alchemy corner' (individual mixtures in the pharmacy) to industrial high standardization. It's the leap from a flip phone to a smartphone.
And even if there is no 100% guarantee for each individual: The market of millions of allergy sufferers who are fed up with suffering and are willing to pay for this 'subscription' for 3 years is gigantic.
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•@Raketentoni Is this covered by the health insurance companies here? And are there competitors who also offer tablet therapy?
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•@Multibagger 1. does the health insurance pay for it? 🏥
Yes, absolutely! In Germany, ALK tablets (Grazax, Itulazax, Acarizax) are regularly covered by statutory (GKV) and private health insurance companies (PKV).
As these are prescription-only medicines, as a statutory health insurance patient you only pay the usual co-payment (usually 5 to 10 euros).
The catch (for the health insurance company): A 3-year course of treatment costs the insurance company several thousand euros in total. But - and this is the argument in favor of the share - it is still cheaper for the insurance company than financing a lifetime of asthma sprays, emergency treatments and absences from work. It's an investment in the cure.
2. are there competitors with tablets? ⚔️
Yes, ALK is not completely alone in the world, but they are the top dog in the tablet segment. Here are the names you should know:
Stallergenes Greer (Switzerland/France): This is the biggest runner-up. They have the Oralair (5-grass tablet) and, more recently, a tablet against house dust mites (Actair/Orylmyte).
Allergopharma (Dermapharm, Germany): They are based right on our doorstep in Reinbek. They are extremely strong in Germany, but historically tend to come from the syringe corner (SCIT). They are lagging behind ALK when it comes to state-of-the-art, globally approved tablets.
HAL Allergy / Bencard: These companies are also on the market, but often still rely on drops or individual mixtures.
3. why ALK is still ahead (The moat) 🏰
When Chris asks: 'Why not just buy the competition?
The range: ALK is the only one to have the 'cloverleaf' of grasses, house dust mites, birch/trees and ragweed fully approved as a ready-to-use tablet - including in the USA.
FDA approval: The US market is a goldmine. Getting approval there is like landing on the moon. ALK has it, many competitors do not (yet) or only for niches.
Simplicity: While other companies often still have complex dosing regimens (first drops, then syringe, then this), ALK's motto is: One tablet, once a day. This is the Apple principle of allergy therapy: it simply works.
Yes, absolutely! In Germany, ALK tablets (Grazax, Itulazax, Acarizax) are regularly covered by statutory (GKV) and private health insurance companies (PKV).
As these are prescription-only medicines, as a statutory health insurance patient you only pay the usual co-payment (usually 5 to 10 euros).
The catch (for the health insurance company): A 3-year course of treatment costs the insurance company several thousand euros in total. But - and this is the argument in favor of the share - it is still cheaper for the insurance company than financing a lifetime of asthma sprays, emergency treatments and absences from work. It's an investment in the cure.
2. are there competitors with tablets? ⚔️
Yes, ALK is not completely alone in the world, but they are the top dog in the tablet segment. Here are the names you should know:
Stallergenes Greer (Switzerland/France): This is the biggest runner-up. They have the Oralair (5-grass tablet) and, more recently, a tablet against house dust mites (Actair/Orylmyte).
Allergopharma (Dermapharm, Germany): They are based right on our doorstep in Reinbek. They are extremely strong in Germany, but historically tend to come from the syringe corner (SCIT). They are lagging behind ALK when it comes to state-of-the-art, globally approved tablets.
HAL Allergy / Bencard: These companies are also on the market, but often still rely on drops or individual mixtures.
3. why ALK is still ahead (The moat) 🏰
When Chris asks: 'Why not just buy the competition?
The range: ALK is the only one to have the 'cloverleaf' of grasses, house dust mites, birch/trees and ragweed fully approved as a ready-to-use tablet - including in the USA.
FDA approval: The US market is a goldmine. Getting approval there is like landing on the moon. ALK has it, many competitors do not (yet) or only for niches.
Simplicity: While other companies often still have complex dosing regimens (first drops, then syringe, then this), ALK's motto is: One tablet, once a day. This is the Apple principle of allergy therapy: it simply works.
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•@Raketentoni OK, I'll take a look at it. If Mr. Prompt doesn't like everything, maybe it's an investment for me!
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@Raketentoni In Germany, health insurance covers it and the pill responds to several grasses, pollens and house dust?
If that's really the case, I'll buy shares tomorrow and get a prescription for the treatment.
If that's really the case, I'll buy shares tomorrow and get a prescription for the treatment.
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•@TradingHase Why don't you ask your insurance company or allergist? I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Here in Denmark you only have to pay a minimal amount extra
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