Although family-owned Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH is the only private firm in the top 20 largest biopharmas, its executives are quick to explain that most of their operations function in the same way as their publicly traded peers – with high standards for research and development and business development, and regular reviews of performance against goals. But one distinction BI execs acknowledged in a series of interviews with In Vivo is that not operating on the rhythm of the quarterly financial reporting cycle allows BI to keep a long-term focus.
136 Years And Counting: Boehringer Ingelheim Sees Advantage In Private Structure
The family-owned German pharma dates back to 1885 and tries to keep up with its publicly traded peers by not mimicking everything they do, but with a “value by innovation” focus.

More from Business Strategy
As the health care industry undergoes a digital transformation, the integration of AI into Quality and Regulatory Management Systems is proving essential. The challenges for successful AI deployment emphasize the need for robust digital infrastructure, data literacy programs and privacy measures to enhance patient safety and commercial performance.
Aurion Biotech is developing a cell therapy for corneal diseases that is cheap enough to produce and can be scaled that it should reach the masses in a way that other cell therapies cannot.
Companies are exploring new mechanisms of action beyond traditional amyloid and tau and both investors and big pharma are willing to make deals when the science is compelling, panelists at Biotech Showcase said.
Licensing deals have been growing in popularity over outright acquisitions in the pharmaceutical industry over the past decade. Licensing deals have doubled in number from 2015 to 2024, while M&A activity has decreased post-COVID. We consider the advantages of licensing deals and review notable licensing deals from the past 10 years with the potential to deliver high value relative to their initial investment.
More from In Vivo
Bringing AI and digital healthtech innovation to patients works most efficiently via a three-way partnership in which clinicians and cloud services have equal weighting with a powerhouse innovator, Royal Philips told In Vivo during ECR 2025.
Laura Lane, European head of Lilly Ventures, talked to In Vivo at the recent Bio-Europe meeting in a fireside chat about how strategic investments are shaping the future of biotech, Lilly's approach to early-stage innovation, and the evolving European investment landscape.
As the health care industry undergoes a digital transformation, the integration of AI into Quality and Regulatory Management Systems is proving essential. The challenges for successful AI deployment emphasize the need for robust digital infrastructure, data literacy programs and privacy measures to enhance patient safety and commercial performance.