The Respimat® success story

Successful treatment of respiratory diseases also depends on how much of the active substance enters the patient’s lung. Boehringer Ingelheim’s Respimat® Soft Inhaler and its long-lasting aerosol cloud effectively transport the active substance into the lung. As a result of increasing demand for this innovative inhalation system, the research-driven pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim is investing approximately EUR 85 million in its Dortmund facility to double the Respimat® production to 44 million inhalers annually by 2015. This expansion will also create more than 100 new jobs in Dortmund at full capacity utilisation.

“We expect that the Respimat® business will continue its strong growth. For this reason, Boehringer Ingelheim is now laying the symbolic foundation stone to expand production capacity for the Respimat® Soft Inhaler at the Dortmund facility. In future, we will continue to meet the increasing demand, while at the same time fulfilling our claim to provide patients with innovative medications”, stated Professor Wolfram Carius, member of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Board of Managing Directors in charge of Biopharmaceuticals and Operations. “Doubling our Respimat® production capacity will allow us to produce up to 44 million inhalers annually in the future. The success story of Respimat® continues.” The Respimat® Soft Inhaler is produced in Dortmund by subsidiary Boehringer Ingelheim microParts GmbH. Part of the Boehringer Ingelheim group since 2004, it manufactures products for global distribution of the pharmaceutical company.

Video: Expansion of production capacity in Dortmund

“North Rhine-Westphalia is Germany’s industrial hub – and by investing millions here in Dortmund, Boehringer Ingelheim is underscoring the importance of our state to industry“, emphasised Garrelt Duin, Minister of Economic Affairs, Energy, Industry, SMEs and Trade for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia at the start of production capacity expansion in Dortmund. “To develop such high technology, a long-term effort is required before the whole thing really pays off“, said Duin. “North Rhine-Westphalia and the City of Dortmund are very fortunate that as a family-owned company, Boehringer Ingelheim has the necessary stamina.”

More than 450 employees are currently employed for the manufacture of Respimat® Soft Inhalers in Dortmund at Boehringer Ingelheim microParts GmbH. Respimat® is filled with its active pharmaceutical substances at the company’s headquarters in Ingelheim, from where it is distributed around the world.

Boehringer Ingelheim

The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world’s 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globally with 145 affiliates and more than 44,000 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel medications of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.

As a central element of its culture, Boehringer Ingelheim pledges to act socially responsible. Involvement in social projects, caring for employees and their families, and providing equal opportunities for all employees form the foundation of the global operations. Mutual cooperation and respect, as well as environmental protection and sustainability are intrinsic factors in all of Boehringer Ingelheim’s endeavours.

In 2011, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of about 13.2 billion euro. R&D expenditure in the business area Prescription Medicines corresponds to 23.5% of its net sales.

For more information please visit www.boehringer-ingelheim.com