Boehringer Ingelheim reports strong financial results for 2015

Boehringer Ingelheim has announced its financial results for 2015, during which it generated a net sales total of 14.8 billion euros (11.69 billion pounds).

This represented a 4.1 percent year-on-year increase in currency-adjusted terms and an 11.1 percent rise in euro terms. Excluding its generics business, sold at the beginning of 2016, the firm's currency-adjusted net sales rose by 5.3 percent.

Key highlights of the year included the regulatory approvals secured for Praxbind, Spiriva Respimat, Spiolto and Ofev, as well as the arrangement of a strategically important asset exchange deal with Sanofi.

It has also put plans in place to invest 11 billion euros in drug research and development over the next five years, supported in part by a new collaborative agreement with AbbVie.

A minor increase in net sales compared to last year is expected in 2016, reflecting the low growth impetus seen across global pharmaceutical markets.

Professor Andreas Barner, chairman of the board of managing directors at Boehringer Ingelheim, said: "We made many significant medical advances. At the same time, we took the key strategic course in 2015 to build on our competitiveness and to pave the way for sustainable business development in the future too."