Boeh Ingelheim to sell French plant?

German drugmaker Boehringer Ingelheim is reportedly negotiating the sale of the entirety of its drug production plant at Reims in the north of France. The company has confirmed that it is involved in talks with "an important player" in the global pharmaceutical market and that a decision is expected in March or April. Local rumor has indicated that the firm is a sub-contracting producer.

BI France indicated recently that it wanted to change the Reims site from a "cost center to a profits center" and hoped to create extra production because the 100 million units manufactured in 2007 were below the target of between 130 and 150 million units a year necessary for the site to be competitive. It is understood that, while looking for more clients, BI started negotiating with a sub-contractor itself seeking a site and able to supply the 30 million extra units the drugmaker required.