Boehringer Ingelheim reviews positive 2012 business performance

Boehringer Ingelheim has hailed the strong performance of its business during 2012, a year which saw it achieve a net sales total of 14.7 billion euros (12.4 billion pounds).

This represented an 11.5 percent year-on-year increase, with sales of its drug Pradaxa exceeding one billion euros for the first time, while its animal health operations also passed the same milestone.

During the year, the firm expanded its global workforce by five percent to more than 46,000 employees, while also increasing its research and development spending by 11 percent to 2.8 billion euros.

Boehringer Ingelheim expects further mid-single-digit sales growth in 2013, with several new product launches planned for the year, including a new treatment for lung cancer.

Professor Andreas Barner, chairman of the board of managing directors at Boehringer Ingelheim, said: "2012 was a year with which we are very pleased – both with the growth in the market and with operating income, as well as with the progress with our pipeline."

Earlier this month, the company made an investment in the ocular health-focused company Eyevensys via its Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund.