Boehringer Ingelheim reports sales growth

Boehringer Ingelheim has published its financial figures for the first half of 2008, with the company reporting a robust growth in sales measured in local currencies.

The firm reported a nine per cent rise in sales on the comparable period last year, which fell to a 2.1 increase after consolidation in euros to 5,522 million euros (4,354 million pounds).

Pharmaceutical sales rose 1.8 per cent to 5,306 million euros, while operating income fell on last year’s figure to 899 million euros as a result of research and development expenditure and exchange rates.

Boehringer Ingelheim posted job growth during the half, with personnel capacity increasing by 3.8 per cent to a total headcount of 39,819.

The company said Spiriva (tiotropium), Micardis (telmisartan) and Flomax (tamsulosin HCl) all showed good growth during the first half of the year.

Dr Alessandro Banchi, chairman of the board of managing directors, said: “We posted excellent growth in all countries.”

He added that business development during the period showed the company remains on a healthy path to growth which continues to exceed that of the pharmaceutical market as a whole.

Last month, Boehringer Ingelheim announced the planned retirement of Dr Banchi as chairman of the board and his eventual replacement by Dr Andreas Barner.