Major investment for respiratory diseases completed.

Ingelheim/Dortmund, Germany,11 April 2019 – Just as the next-generation Respimat® inhaler hits the first European markets, Boehringer Ingelheim has completed the investment of €105 million to expand associated production operations at its sites in Dortmund and Ingelheim. Sufficient capacity is now available for the next generation of this successful medical device. 

Differing from other application systems for inhaler-based therapies, Respimat® produces a soft, slow-moving and long-lasting mist which allows a high percentage of the active ingredient to be deposited deep in the lungs.^1,2,3 The new Respimat® has the same well-established features, but is now even more user-friendly, reusable and consequently better for the environment.^4,5 

“The volume of the investment and further development of Respimat® demonstrate Boehringer Ingelheim’s long-term commitment to combating serious respiratory diseases,” explains Country Manager Dr. Sabine Nikolaus. “This also underscores our commitment to Germany as a production location.” 

Respimat assembly line Dortmund

Additional production space for another flexible assembly line was set up in Dortmund for the new Respimat®. Of the total investment, €78 million went towards this development and production site, while the remaining €27 million was invested in Ingelheim for purchasing new machinery, equipment, and materials for an additional packaging line. These two sites work hand-in-hand, meaning that the entire development and manufacturing process is carried out exclusively in Germany, making Boehringer Ingelheim unique in this respect. 

Boehringer Ingelheim has been working to improve the lives of patients with respiratory diseases for more than a century. The main areas of focus include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, cystic fibrosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, scleroderma-related interstitial lung disease and other forms of progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases.

Respimat® is a unique, propellant-free inhaler and the basis of several inhaled respiratory medications from Boehringer Ingelheim. The next-generation devices are available in Germany from April and in additional European countries throughout the year. As it is reusable, the new inhaler is more environmentally friendly than its predecessor⁵ – the cartridges can now easily be exchanged. Users say the new Respimat® is easier to prepare for daily use too.⁴ In addition, the dose indicator has been enlarged and colour marks indicate when the medication is nearly empty and the cartridge needs to be replaced.
  
About Boehringer Ingelheim
Improving the health and quality of life of patients is the goal of the research-driven pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. The focus in doing so is on diseases for which no satisfactory treatment option exists to date. The company therefore concentrates on developing innovative therapies that can extend patients’ lives. In animal health, Boehringer Ingelheim stands for advanced prevention. 

Family-owned since it was established in 1885, Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the pharmaceutical industry’s top 20 companies. Some 50,000 employees create value through innovation daily for the three business areas human pharmaceuticals, animal health and biopharmaceuticals. In 2017, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of nearly 18.1 billion euros. R&D expenditure, exceeding three billion euros, corresponded to 17.0 per cent of net sales. 

As a family-owned company, Boehringer Ingelheim plans in generations and focuses on long-term success. The company therefore aims at organic growth from its own resources with simultaneous openness to partnerships and strategic alliances in research. In everything it does, Boehringer Ingelheim naturally adopts responsibility towards mankind and the environment. 

More information about Boehringer Ingelheim can be found on www.boehringer-ingelheim.com or in our annual report: http://annualreport.boehringer-ingelheim.com.

References

¹Ciciliani AM, et al. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis 2017;12:1565–77.
²Dalby RN, et al. Med Devices 2011;4:145–55.
³Pitcairn G, et al. J Aerosol Med 2005;18:264–72.
⁴Dhand R, et al. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis 2019;14:509–23.
⁵Hansel M, et al. Respir Drug Deliv 2018;2:321–4.