Boeh Ingelheim 2005 sales grow 17%

German independent pharmaceutical firm Boehringer Ingelheim says it has maintained its successful growth path once again in 2005. Net sales grew 17% to 9.5 billion euros ($11.41 billion). Operating income, comparable to earnings before interest and tax, was 40% higher at over 1.9 billion euros.

Alessandro Banchi, chairman of the board of managing directors at BI, with responsibility for pharmaceutical marketing and sales, said the past financial year was a clear confirmation "that Boehringer Ingelheim has entered the group of leading international pharmaceutical companies, not only in terms of sales growth, but also in terms of profits. We look back on a most satisfactory financial year.

The group's good net sales development was positively reflected in the results. BI achieved an operating return (operating income in relation to net sales) of 20.2%, which Marbod Muff, responsible for the corporate board divisions finance and human resources, described as "exceptionally good."