Boehringer Ingelheim Outpaces Industry Growth

A research and development-focused pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving human and animal health, Boehringer Ingelheim is celebrating its 25th anniversary in Turkey. Evren Özlü, General Manager of Boehringer Ingelheim Turkey and Transformation Process Leader for Sub-Saharan Africa, stated: "Over the past 25 years, in every step we have taken, we have served Turkish medicine and patients with determination in areas of unmet medical need. By 2019, we had become an organization growing more than 20 percent of the pharmaceutical market. Today, as the Turkey organization, we hold an important value-added position for our company in both human and animal health. We are taking significant steps on issues at the heart of the sector, such as clinical research, localization, investment in people, and rapidly bringing new products to patients in order to write a sustainable success story." Operating worldwide for 135 years as a family company, Boehringer Ingelheim ranks among the top 20 pharmaceutical companies globally in both human and animal health. Starting its journey in Turkey 25 years ago in respiratory and cardiovascular treatment, Boehringer Ingelheim today operates in human health in metabolic diseases particularly diabetes, respiratory, oncology, immunology and central nervous system diseases; and in animal health in vaccines, anti-parasitic drugs and therapeutics based on disease prevention principles. Evren Özlü, General Manager of Boehringer Ingelheim Turkey and Transformation Process Leader for Sub-Saharan Africa, highlighted that the company has achieved an important position in global and regional management during its 25th year in Turkey, stating: "Our journey that started in 1994 in Turkey with a small team has now transformed into a large organization. Day by day we renewed ourselves, strengthened ourselves, and worked with passion for always the best in disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Over 25 years we have accomplished important work in the development of Turkey's health sector and focused primarily on areas of unmet medical need. Last year within the framework of this vision we worked intensively and achieved growth above the market."

Achieved growth above the market

Evren Özlü noted that as a company operating in Turkey for a quarter century, they closed 2019 with significant developments, stating: "In human health, while the average growth of the pharmaceutical market in Turkey according to IMS (IQVIA) data was 31.7 percent, Boehringer Ingelheim Turkey closed the year with growth above 50 percent and succeeded in entering the top 14 pharmaceutical companies by rising 6 positions in the ranking. Thanks to these successes as Turkey, we rose to a major player status in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa (META) Region to which we belong." Noting that they also completed 2019 successfully in animal health, Özlü said: "In animal health, we focus on animal welfare and performance improvement and produce services and solutions in this area. Our business unit reached a growth rate of more than 40 percent compared to the previous year, carrying the position of the fastest-growing country in the META Region in animal health to its third year."

Began local investment initiatives

In its 25th year, Boehringer Ingelheim also began local investments to support its growth targets. Özlü, noting that they completed the signature process in localization initiatives and have significant investment targets for 2020, stated: "With our localization initiatives, Turkey is becoming one of Boehringer Ingelheim's manufacturing hubs in terms of human health products. Within the next 5 years we plan to manufacture one out of every two boxes of pharmaceutical products from our human health portfolio in Turkey. In addition, we aim for approximately one-third of the products in value terms to come from locally produced products." Özlü also conveyed that as of 2020, they are targeting focus on specific pharmaceutical products and leadership in the metabolism area.

"We are focusing on digital transformation in healthcare"

Evren Özlü, highlighting that they are joining the accelerating digitalization process in Turkey with digital transformation applications in healthcare, stated: "As of 2018, we accelerated our digital transformation processes. We took important steps regarding digital research, digital care and technology issues in both human and animal health areas and launched systematic working programs for these steps to take effect across all our global organizations. With the digital transformation process, we aim to significantly accelerate and increase the discovery of new molecules and support healthcare development with the help of artificial intelligence."

"We are working for More Health"

Özlü, noting that Boehringer Ingelheim has been working since 2010 with the mission of "Making More Health" and in collaboration with Ashoka, which has been working in many areas such as environment and health in more than 70 countries for over 30 years, stated: "Under the initiative we have launched under the name More Health; through collaboration with Ashoka we reach and support social entrepreneurs working in healthcare around the world. To date we have also selected social entrepreneurs from Turkey within this initiative and provided them important support both at sponsorship and mentorship levels. Both globally and in Turkey these initiatives will continue." Evren Özlü, emphasizing that Boehringer Ingelheim Turkey employees are behind the successes achieved over 25 years, stated: "We have an agile team that is responsible and able to take initiative that brings these successes to life and we operate with the philosophy of investment in people is investment in business. We are also becoming a role model for the region we belong to. We were the first pharmaceutical company in Turkey to receive the Investors In People™ certification. Two years ago we also entered the Great Place To Work (GPTW) Institute's Best Employers List and achieved a very good result in the global ranking in the employee survey conducted by our global organization. The successes we have achieved are important steps in our journey towards becoming a company that touches people, and we will continue on this path in a targeted manner."