History (1948-1990): Going global

Overview

Ernst Boehringer, Albert jr., and Julius Liebrecht steered Boehringer Ingelheim through the first postwar years. After a difficult postwar start, the monetary reform of 1948 brought economic recovery and expansion. The first foreign subsidiary was established in Vienna in 1948, and more subsidiaries around the globe would follow. In 1955, the general economic boom had already led to a fourfold increase in the number of employees compared to the pre-war era.

Meanwhile, the identity of the family-owned company continued with the next generation: Following the death of Albert jr. and Ernst Boehringer, Julius Liebrecht became Chairman of the Board in 1965. His son, Hubertus Liebrecht, joined the Board of Managing Directors in 1967 and was appointed Chairman in 1971, serving for 20 years until 1991. Albert’s son, Dr Wilhelm Boehringer, also became a member of the Board of Managing Directors, joining in 1967. He would head the Production and Technology division until his untimely death in 1975 at the age of 44.

Throughout the first postwar decades, Boehringer Ingelheim brought several important and innovative products to the market – not only in Germany but also in an increasingly interconnected world. International innovation moved the company to the next level.

Milestones and turning points

1948: Becoming global

In 1948, three years after the end of the Second World War, the first foreign subsidiary is founded in Vienna under the name Bender & Co. GmbH. Today, it is the Regional Center Vienna, located in the Meidling district in the Austrian capital. Over the course of the next decades, the company further expands around the globe. Other foreign subsidiaries within the next 25 years include Spain (1953), Italy (1955), Brazil (1956), Argentina (1957), Canada (1958), Japan (1961), Mexico (1962), the United Kingdom (1962), France (1968), and the United States (1971).

With this continuous expansion, Boehringer Ingelheim also restructures company operations. The year 1981 marks a major change here: C. H. Boehringer Sohn, which was the original company name, becomes the holding company for companies in Germany, while the newly formed Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH becomes the holding company for companies abroad. The company had evolved into a global player. 

1955: Advancing Animal Health

Boehringer Ingelheim responds to increasing demand for veterinary research and development by investing in Animal Health. In 1950, Boehringer Ingelheim has already started a collaboration with the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer & Co. on the field of antibiotics.

Now in 1955, Pfizer offers Boehringer Ingelheim the sales and distribution of the veterinarian line of one of their antibiotics named Terramycin (historical advertisement in German pictured here). This development marks the beginning of the Animal Health sector of Boehringer Ingelheim. 

1959: First "International Days" in Ingelheim

The first "International Days" take place in Ingelheim. Ernst Boehringer creates this annual event series to promote the appreciation and understanding of different cultures. With a variety of events and an art exhibition, the “International Days” have been a highlight of the town’s event calendar for over 60 years now.

Featured topics have been countries, regions, or specific artists, like Paul Klee, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, and Käthe Kollwitz.

1961: Establishing the Institute for Pharmaceutical Research

The Institute for Pharmaceutical Research focusing on virology and pharmacology is established in Vienna. Over the decades, Vienna remains a cornerstone of the company’s research network. In 1988, the Institute for Molecular Pathology (IMP) is established in Vienna as a joint venture with Genentech, Inc. (USA). The IMP has been solely owned by Boehringer Ingelheim since 1993.

1967: Setting the stage for the next generation

With the appointment of Dr Wilhelm Boehringer (left) and Hubertus Liebrecht (right) to the Board of Managing Directors in 1967, a new generation of the founding family arrives at the core of company operations. While Wilhelm Boehringer is a researcher by training, having received his PhD from the son of Nobel laureate Heinrich Wieland, Hubertus Liebrecht has undergone a commercial training to be prepared for commercial decision-making. Consequently, both men pursue their professions: Wilhelm Boehringer heads the Production and Technology division, recognizing the importance of supporting young researchers, with new ideas in a rapidly changing and growing research landscape. In his first address to young apprentices in 1967, he underlines that the strength and viability of the company highly depends on the quality of its young talented people.

Meanwhile, Hubertus Liebrecht becomes Chairman of the Board of Managing Directors in 1971, taking over from his father. In 1972, he formulates his vision for the company, stressing its importance as a research-driven pharmaceutical company with a global outreach. He makes it also clear that “Boehringer Ingelheim is a family-owned company, and it will remain a family-owned company”. 

1977: Funding research efforts for the benefit of patients 

Apart from its own research activities (like at a training laboratory as in this picture), Boehringer Ingelheim supports researchers outside of the company grounds. The Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation is established to promote research in biology, chemistry, medicine, and pharmaceutical science. In addition to supporting outstanding academic achievements worldwide, the Foundation also invests in local research projects. It is another milestone in the company’s commitment to supporting scientific efforts – and it will not be the last. For instance, the year 1983 sees the establishment of the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (BIF), a foundation for basic medical research.

1985: Company centenary

Boehringer Ingelheim celebrates its centenary. The company now employs more than 22,000 people and achieves sales of more than DM 4.5 billion, approximately more than EUR 2.3 billion nowadays. Only one year later, the biotechnological center in Biberach starts production. Following an investment of around DM 150 million, around EUR 77 million nowadays, it further boosts the company’s commitment to its home market. Today, it is still one of the largest plants in Europe for the production of biopharmaceuticals from cell cultures.

Products of this period

1951

The year 1951 sees the launch of Buscopan, a spasmolytic agent of plant origin used in the treatment of gastrointestinal problems. Buscopan will form part of the product portfolio of Boehringer Ingelheim for several decades.

1959

In Biberach, Thomae has been carrying out highly successful R&D activities, culminating in the launch of Persantin, a product used in the treatment of coronary heart disease. For many years, it will be one of the most successful prescription products which are developed and produced by Thomae.

1963

With Bisolvon, Boehringer Ingelheim launches a respiratory agent – the first secretolytic (mucolytic) agent resulting from the company’s own research. It has been developed in Biberach, and researchers achieve a breakthrough with the product’s further development and the active agent ambroxol.

1975

Atrovent®, a drug used in the treatment of chronic respiratory tract diseases, has its market launch in 1975.

1977

In 1977, Asasantin is launched, a product used in the treatment of thromboses and embolisms.

1979

Two products are launched in 1979: Mexitil, used in the treatment of arrhythmia, and Mucosolvan, used in the treatment of bronchitis.

1987

The launch of Actilyse® in 1987 marks a milestone for Boehringer Ingelheim in two ways: Not only is it the first thrombolytic treatment for acute heart attacks, but it is also the company’s first proprietary product developed at its biopharmaceutical production site, which opened the year before.

1989

The year 1989 sees the launch of Alveofact, a surfactant substitute for respiratory distress syndrome in newborns.