Danish Medicines Agency and IBM in DKK 144m Business Transformation Agreement

IBM to Digitize and Optimize Workflow Processes Across The Danish Medicines Agency.

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK .- IBM (NYSE: IBM) and The Danish Medicines Agency today announced a DKK 144m (approx $24 million) contract for a business transformation project to automatically process licensing of new drugs, further strengthening The Danish Medicines Agency’s position in European medicine cooperation.

The project is called DAHLIA, which refers to the digitization of workflow processes across the Danish Medicines Agency. In future, when the Agency licences medicine, the IBM solution will make the licensing process run smoothly, at the same time making the documentation of each case accessible to all relevant stake holders through a portal.

IBM will also enhance and extend digitization across the Danish Medicines Agency and to pharmacies and the pharmaceutical industry, making it possible for the Agency to tackle future challenges, improve cooperation with stakeholders, and remain at the leading edge of technology. Adhering to common European standards, DAHLIA helps future-proof the Agency’s international and global cooperation with authorities, citizens and companies while maintaining its position as a key player in European cooperation on medicines.

The DAHLIA project uses the IBM FileNet P8 platform with IBM WebSphere Portal as the user interface. In Denmark, the Agency fulfils the role of ensuring the availability of effective and safe healthcare products -- medicinal products, medical devices and new therapies -- and promotes the proper use of these products, and also works to influence the international development of affordable healthcare products for both people and animals.

“The DAHLIA project demonstrates the leadership of the Danish Medicines Agency and how IBM is helping the Agency to drive business transformation. The project not only encompasses new IT systems but also uses legacy systems through Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). The entire project will be implemented without any interruption of the Agency’s operations,” says Steffen Lerche Nielsen, GBS Healthcare Leader, IBM Nordic.

The DAHLIA contract was signed in October 2008.