According to company information, this growth is primarily due to the success of the company’s prescription medicines. The operating income also developed equally well over the previous year. Further information was not disclosed by the company. According to other information made available, the world pharmaceutical market grew by 4.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2009.

The company sees no significant growth in 2010 due to important patent expiries. However, Boehringer Ingelheim expects a new period of growth in 2011 from new innovative medications that are to be introduced. The patent for the prostate drug Flomax®, for example, is due to expire in the USA in 2010.

In the first six months of 2009, net sales in the company's core Prescription Medicines business rose to 5,107 million euro (+ 9.1 per cent in local currency, +17.3 per cent in euro). 

With sales of 1,176 million euro, Spiriva^®, for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), secured further strong growth of +15.0 per cent in the first half of 2009 compared with the previous year. In the field of urological disorders, Flomax^®, for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia,  achieved net sales of 709 million euro. Micardis^®, for the treatment of high blood pressure, achieved a marked increase in sales of +7.6 per cent over the previous year to a total of 709 million euro.

In the first six months of 2009, the Consumer Health Care business (CHC) posted net sales in the amount of 609 million euro and local growth of +1.0 per cent (+7.1 per cent in euro) over the previous year. The operating income in this segment suffered considerably in the last six months in the wake of the global economic crisis. The business conducted with Industrial Customers declined by 2.3 per cent. The company's innovative pig vaccine was again the most significant growth driver of the Animal Health business, which achieved strong growth of +27.9 per cent in local currency, with sales of 286 million euro.

Andreas Barner, Chairman of the Board of Directors, called the company’s own research and development extremely encouraging. The company expects new applications of Pradaxa®, a drug for the prevention of venous thrombotic events, following the introduction of the drug in Europe as well as in some non-European countries. Two large-scale studies in two new indications are currently being evaluated. The results will be made available at the end of August and in November 2009.

The substance flibanserin, which is currently being investigated as a potential pharmaceutical treatment for pre-menopausal women suffering from hypoactive sexual desire disorder, is currently in a clinical phase 3 study that is being carried out in Europe and North America. Results from the study are expected to be released by the end of 2009.

According to company information, two phase 3 studies are currently underway with two anti-cancer drugs. A clinical phase 3 study involving the oral diabetes drug, which contains the substance linagliptin, is nearing completion. Following positive results from short-term phase 2b studies on another substance for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, the recruitment for the 12-week studies with mono- and combination therapy is already well underway.