136 Years And Counting: Boehringer Ingelheim Sees Advantage In Private Structure

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.

BI has traditionally kept a narrow focus on a few therapeutic areas, being efficient with its research and development. It has a deep bench of expertise at its core areas, namely oncology, cardiovascular and inflammatory disease. Staying focused also allows the firm to fully exploit products throughout their lifecycle, following up with additional indications that keep its products blockbusters for years