Boehringer Ingelheim reports successful 2011 business year

Boehringer Ingelheim has reported strong results for its 2011 business year, with net sales rising to 13.2 billion euros (10.72 billion pounds) during the 12 months.

This represented a year-on-year increase of 6.2 per cent, while operating income rose to 2.3 billion euros and return on net sales grew to 17.3 percent.

Around 77 percent of this revenue total was accounted for by prescription medicines, with the 2011 launch of Pradaxa proving instrumental in the company's growth, while established therapies such as Spiriva, Micardis and Combivent also contributed.

Meanwhile, recent research and development investments and improved performance across a broad range of business units will also serve to position Boehringer Ingelheim well for a further high single-digit sales increase in 2012.

Professor Andreas Barner, chairman of Boehringer Ingelheim's board of managing directors with responsibility for research and development and medicine, said: "Thanks to our continued investment in our own research and development, we are starting a new period of growth."

Last month, the company announced the launch of its new worldwide Gloria-AF Registry programme, which will assess a range of treatments for stroke prevention among atrial fibrillation patients.