Ofev and Jardiance sales boost Boehringer growth

Ofev (nintedanib), is a Boehringer Ingelheim product used to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive disease that causes scarring on the lungs and commonly affects men rather than women in the over 50 demographic. The capsules have been proven to slow the decline in lung function compared to patients who took a placebo, and first half sales have increased by 35% to $620m.
Jardiance (empagliflozin) was approved by the EU in May 2014. It is an oral medication prescribed to control blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes by helping the kidneys to remove glucose from the bloodstream through the urine. Its sales increased by 68% to $776m.
Boehringer’s chairman, Hubertus von Baumbach, said: “We have grown in all our businesses, as expected, a little less strongly than in the extraordinarily successful 2017 financial year. One reason, which we took account of in planning, is the increased generic competition in the important Japanese market for the blood pressure medicines Micardis and Twynsta.” Total prescription drug sales for Boehringer was $7.1 billion.