Boehringer Ingelheim has been ranked among the top 20 largest pharmaceutical companies globally for the second time. The company ranked top for its ongoing effort to overcoming barriers to access to healthcare, especially for vulnerable groups and communities in developing countries.
The biopharmaceutical company was ranked at number 12 amongst 20 of the largest pharmaceutical companies. This is two positions higher from last year in the bi-annual global Access-to-Medicine Index.
The Access-To-Medicine ranking report acknowledges Boehringer Ingelheim’s solid foundation in Research and Development (R&D). For several years, Boehringer Ingelheim has made dedicated investments in R&D areas that are aligned with the focus of the index. This includes the Research Beyond Borders program. With the program, the company continues its search for new therapies for diseases such as TB, HBV and Dengue fever and treating antimicrobial resistance.
Dr. Antonio Ruffolo, Head of Access To Healthcare and Global Health Policy at Boehringer Ingelheim commented on the occasion, “We see our new ranking as a strong encouragement to continue to work hard on making novel products available to lower-to-middle income countries and at affordable prices,” he said.
Boehringer Ingelheim has particularly invested in partnerships and initiatives designed to strengthen healthcare systems in the developing countries. This includes In-Reach Africa Initiatives Kuza Afya and Tiba Yako launched in Kenya.
The two initiatives were implemented through local partners such as the AMPATH Consortium, Moi University and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and PharmAccess. The program have been successful with over 100,000 patients being screened for diabetes and hypertension. Community healthcare workers have also been trained in the identification, prevention and management of the two conditions
Following the success of these two programs, more initiatives have been launched in Kenya including Making More Health (MMH). MMH is a global social change organization that leverages social innovation and entrepreneurship to catalyze change and promote well-being globally. The program was implemented in partnership with Positive Exposure (PE) Kenya, a non-governmental organization aimed at transforming public perceptions on albinism and other rare diseases in the city.
In 2020, multilateral programs were also launched such as the Defeat-NCD Partnership. This was a global alliance launched to tackle the premature death, sickness, disability, and associated social and economic impacts of non-communicable diseases in developing countries.