Annual Report 2006 - Boehringer Ingelheim

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Our medications spiriva®, combivent® and
atrovent® have for many years given us a
leading position in the treatment of COPD.
spiriva®, our first blockbuster medication, is one
of the medicines that is most often prescribed for
this indication. The product, co-promoted with
Pfizer, Inc., was also launched in France in 2006
and is now available in most countries. We
assume that the clinical study uplift®, the
outcome of which we expect in 2008, will further
reaffirm the medicinal efficacy of spiriva® with
additional favourable results.
In the therapeutic area of central nervous system
diseases we have in the dopamine agonist
sifrol®/mirapex® (pramipexole) a successful
medication for the treatment of Parkinson’s
disease. In 2006, pramipexole was also given
market approval by the EU and the FDA for the
treatment of RLS. Together with Lilly, Boehringer
Ingelheim has developed the antidepressant
cymbalta® that has already been introduced in
more than 20 countries. In Germany cymbalta®
has developed into the most successful introduction
of an antidepressant.
In the area of virology Boehringer Ingelheim has
had for years, with the medication viramune®, a
successful drug in the non-nucleoside reverse
transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) class. The introduction
of aptivus® in 2005 complemented our
portfolio of treatments for the immune deficiency
disease AIDS. A further focus in virological
research is in the area of the hepatitis C virus.
With growth of more than 30 % in 2006,
micardis® (angiotensin II receptor blocker) is
one of the fastest growing Boehringer Ingelheim
products. The medication has developed highly
successfully since launch and is a cornerstone
Boehringer Ingelheim A n n u A l R e p o R t 2 0 0 6
of our therapy area cardiovascular diseases. We
assume that the presentation of the results of the
large-scale studies ontarget and transcend®
(together including more than 30,000 patients)
at the beginning of 2008 will show that the
spectrum for using micardis® can be further
widened substantially. The clinical study
profess®, with over 20,000 patients, to demon-
strate the efficacy of aggrenox® in secondary
stroke prevention, will be concluded in 2008.
Here too we expect an outcome that promises
success. In dabigatran we have a highly
promising substance in clinical phase III in the
therapeutic area cardiovascular diseases for the
prevention and treatment of thrombo-embolic
diseases.
In the urology area Boehringer Ingelheim
markets flomax®/alna®, a medication
in-licensed from Astellas, for the treatment
of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH).
In the areas oncology and metabolic diseases,
newer research areas for Boehringer Ingelheim,
we have some interesting development products
in clinical phase II.
Our own previously mentioned research efforts
are complemented by strategic alliances and
in-licensing. Here we can note our exemplary
cooperation with Ablynx for researching and
developing new forms of therapy for Alzheimer’s
disease based on Nanobodies® developed by
Ablynx.
With several compounds in clinical phases II
and III, and a number of substances in the
pre-clinical phase, we will be able to ensure
the flow of new products.