There’s disappointment in Denmark, and King of Prussia, Pa, too. That’s where H. Lundbeck is closing a new office that was just opened in January. The drugmaker hoped its gaboxadol sleeping pill, which was part of a collaboration with Merck, would serve as a springboard for further US launches. But trials showed serious side effects and were halted last month.

“The King of Prussia operation will be closed down. It is happening right now,” says a spokeswoman. In January, Lundbeck moved into a 11,940-square-foot office. “It is still a strategic goal for Lundbeck to establish a commercial presence in the US, but now we have to set new plans due to this unexpected and very unfortunate loss. As a consequence, we have taken the very difficult decision to halt the establishment of a US presence at this time.”

It was only last October that Lundbeck disclosed plans to open its fist US sales and marketing operation, with 50 to 75 employees in the Philadelphia area. Eventually, it hoped to employ 300 people nationwide. Lundbeck is providing outplacement services to the 12 King of Prussia employees, who are in administrative and executive jobs. A sales staff had not yet been hired.

Lundbeck’s Lexapro antidepressant is sold here in a partnership with Forest Laboratories. The drugmaker is “looking at other opportunities,” the spokeswoman maintains, to establish a US commercial organization, including partnerships and licensing rights to medicines.

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