Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation To Create 100 New Jobs With $125 Million+ Site Expansion
October 1, 2014
By Mark Terry, BioSpace.com Breaking News Staff
Ingelheim, Germany-based Boehringer Ingelheim announced today that is will invest more than €100 million (about $127 million U.S.) at its Dortmund location in order to expand manufacturing capabilities for its Respimat inhaler. This expansion is expected to create 100 new jobs at that site.
The U.S. FDA recently approved the Respimat inhaler for maintenance treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using the drug Spiriva. The drug was formerly available as an inhalation powder, which will also remain on the market. That approval was based on 7 clinical trials. Boehringer Ingelheim also recently announced they expect approval in the EU for use of Spiriva to be delivered using the Respimat device. The devices has already been approved in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, Russia and Thailand. The indications for its use are as an add-on maintenance bronchodilator for adults with asthma.
The Spiriva Respimat phase 3 studies reduced the number of patients with severe asthma exacerbation from 32.8 percent o 26.9 percent, and reduced the risk of severe exacerbation by 21 percent. It also delayed the time to first episode of asthma getting worse from 181 days to 315 days. In 2013 Spiriva Respimat created global sales of 3.5 billion euros.
“Over the past decade, not much has changed in the range of therapies that we can offer patients so this new indication for Spiriva Respimat is an important and welcome advance in the treatment of asthma,” said David Halpin, Consultant Physician and Honorary Associate Professor, Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital in a press release. “Its unique mode of action in asthma provides physicians with a new option to help improve symptoms and reduce the number of patients who experience asthma exacerbations and worsenings that are not only frightening and very unpleasant, but can also be life-threatening.”
“The Respimat is a success story—for Boehringer Ingelheim and for the patients,” said the company’s Wolfgang Baiker, member of the Board of Managing Directors in a press release. “We want to continue this success story. The Respimat inhaler will also in future be the inhalation device for applying our respiratory medications.”
Boehringer Ingelheim acquired the microtechnology company involved in the inhaler in September 2004, STEAG microParts GmbH. Currently the division employs more than 550 people in Dortmund.