136 Years And Counting: Boehringer Ingelheim Sees Advantage In Private Structure

The family-owned German pharma dates back to 1885 and tries to keep up with its publicly traded peers by not mimicking everything they do, but with a “value by innovation” focus.

Dawn over the Pharmalogical Research building at Biberach, Germany
• Source: Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH

Although family-owned Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH is the only private firm in the top 20 largest biopharmas, its executives are quick to explain that most of their operations function in the same way as their publicly traded peers – with high standards for research and development and business development, and regular reviews of performance against goals. But one distinction BI execs acknowledged in a series of interviews with In Vivo is that not operating on the rhythm of the quarterly financial reporting cycle allows BI to keep a long-term focus.

BI has traditionally kept a narrow focus on a few therapeutic areas, being efficient with its research and development. It...

More from Business Strategy

Podcast: “They Are Able To Keep Their Body”: Medipost On Its Stem Cell Therapy Vision

 

In Vivo spoke with Edward Ahn, CEO of Medipost, a Korean company that has developed stem cell therapies from cord blood, on how they are working across regulatory markets to provide a novel treatment for degenerative diseases.

Can Italy Shake Off Its Reputation And Become A Premier Hub For Biotech?

 
• By 

Leading industry experts have spoken to In Vivo about how investment, a change in mindset and a fresh approach to policy may allow Italy to kick-start its biotech ecosystem.

Rising Leaders 2025: Abbas Kazimi’s Vision For Nimbus Therapeutics

 
• By 

Rising Leader Abbas Kazimi's leadership at Nimbus Therapeutics combines immigrant resilience, patient-first partnerships, contrarian strategic bets and a deeply personal mission driving breakthrough drug discovery innovation.

AI In Biologics Discovery: The Expensive Bet On Unproven Promise

 
• By 

Despite limited evidence of commercial impact, pharmaceutical companies are making massive strategic investments in AI biologics platforms. The question isn't whether the technology shows promise; it's whether that promise can translate to measurable business results.

More from In Vivo

Deals In Depth: June 2025

 
• By 

Five $1bn+ alliances were penned in June, and four exceeded $2bn.

Global Pharma Interest In Korea Undeterred Despite Political Roller Coaster

 
• By 

Despite recent political turmoil, outside investor and corporate interest in South Korean biopharma innovation appears robust or even increasing.

Podcast: Oxolife’s Agnés Arbat, Winner Of The European Prize For Women Innovators

 
• By 

Agnès Arbat, CEO of Oxolife and winner of the EU Women Innovators Prize, joins In Vivo to discuss OXO-001, a novel non-hormonal treatment aimed at improving embryo implantation in IVF. She shares insights from her biotech journey and the future of fertility innovation.