Boehringer Ingelheim stepped up its investments in R&D significantly in 2020 in pursuit of innovative medicines and therapies for diseases for which no satisfactory treatments are available. In particular, efforts to research potential COVID-19 related therapies were accelerated. The company spent 3.7 billion EUR on R&D, 7% more than in the previous year. This represents the highest annual investment in R&D in the 136-year history of the research-driven biopharmaceutical company.
“We started our R&D for potential COVID-19 therapies early in the first quarter of 2020, recognizing the urgent need,” said Hubertus von Baumbach, Chairman of the Board of Managing Directors. “Together with many partners worldwide, this work is ongoing. Our employees have done remarkable work to fight COVID-19, ensure our medicines continued to reach patients and animals, and physicians continued to be supported. Our achievements in 2020 are the result of their effort.”
Building on its vast knowledge in various therapeutic areas, such as respiratory diseases and virology, Boehringer Ingelheim is engaged in several projects aimed at finding medical solutions to treat COVID-19. In December 2020, the company announced together with Cologne University Hospital, the University of Marburg, and the German Center for Infection Research the initiation of Phase I/IIa clinical investigation of BI 767551, the first SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody administrated via inhalation as a potential new therapeutic and prophylactic option to block the virus at the site of infection. Other COVID-19 initiatives include the research and development of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies that can be combined with BI 767551, small molecules to inhibit its replication, and therapy development to prevent microcoagulation (blood clots).