Our story
The story of SAM Nordic began in 1997 when Seija Ahlén started Seija Ahlén Medical AB. Seija was formerly the CEO of Map Medical in Sweden but started her own company and continued as a distributor of technetium generators for Map Medical in Sweden.
The story continues with new partnerships and the launch of two diagnostic kits from Dupont for cardiac and neurological exams in nuclear medicine. Shortly after, we started to provide I-125 seeds for Brachytherapy in Prostate Cancer in partnership with Eckert & Ziegler Bebig.
2008 was a fascinating time, one could argue that the term Just-In-Time got a new meaning when SAM Nordic pioneered complex logistics by using a private jet to deliver FDG (FluoroDeoxyGlucose is a glucose analogue, labelled with the positron-emitting isotope Fluorine 18 (F-18)) from Berlin. This was also the year we started the partnership with AAA (Advanced Accelerator Applications). Novartis later acquired AAA.
In 2010, we launched our proprietary technetium kit for cardiac diagnostics.
Let’s jump to 2013, when we got new owners; at the time we were four employees. Isabell Ahlén (daughter of Seija) and David Lundquist acquired the company and came in with new energy and ideas. This was also the year when SAM Nordic ApS was established in Denmark.
Shortly after this, another key player and partner enter the picture. Tuomas Suikki joined, and we established SAM Nordic Oy in Finland. Some would say that this was the start of SAM Nordic 2.0.
In 2015 we started a collaboration with ANMI for PSMA kit. ANMI was later acquired by Telix Pharmaceuticals.
2016 The First Gallium labelled kit receives marketing authorization in the EU & US.
In 2016 we also launched a diagnostic kit for GEP-NETs in the Nordic & Baltic markets. The kit is the first-ever approved PET radiopharmaceutical kit.
2017 marks a significant time when Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, became the first centre in the world to treat GEP-NET patients with regulatory-approved PRRT. (Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy).
2018 New mission, “We contribute to patients in Europe receiving the best possible care, by making medical innovations accessible to all”. We refine and scale back to be able to focus wholeheartedly on the products that actually lead to our vision. Going from being a “one-stop-shop” to actually selling a concept. Namely, theragnostics.
2019 the company keeps evolving. We welcome a new executive board member, Charlotte Boij joins as Chairperson.
2021 While the pandemic hit the world, we are forced to find new ways to work, Theragnostic Talks podcast was born as a result of this time. This is also the year when an additional external member of the board is elected. Sofia Bertling joins, and the Board is now 75 per cent female-led. Pioneers again, this time in gender equality and corporate governance.
2022 and we started the year with a new vision, “A world without cancer”. We are outgrowing our premises and moving into new, bigger and fresher premises “The Reactor” during the autumn.
This year we celebrate 25 years as a Company and as many employees.
2022 is also the year we are awarded the Di Gasell. An award, given out by Sweden’s biggest business newspaper Dagens Industri, to the fastest-growing companies in Sweden. A great acknowledgement of the entire team’s hard work!
2023 is the year Isabell was appointed the prize Entrepreneurial Winning Woman in the Stockholm region. The jury’s statement was a genuine ode to our progressive yet humble CEO, capturing her dynamic and down-to-earth leadership style: “Business ideas are often born out of a strong desire to change, which is certainly true for this entrepreneur who exudes a true “anything is possible” mentality. With a clear purpose and an ambitious vision, she runs a business that contributes to a better life for many people. With warm leadership and a strong sense of sustainability, she is a worthy winner”.
2024 Big celebrations to highlight over ten years of commitment towards the Swedish Childhood Cancer association by engaging the entire company to run with a cheque from our HQ to theirs. With our leadership’s passion and our co-workers’ dedication, we’ve raised over 535,090 SEK for cancer research, funding 1070 hours of research since 2013.
Download the story with interesting theragnostic milestones here