Boehringer Ingelheim

Performance in the 2026 Index

6th place. Boehringer Ingelheim performs well overall with particularly strong performance in Product Delivery, supported by comprehensive access strategies and capacity-building initiatives. Performance in Governance of Access is supported by robust anti-corruption controls. In research and development (R&D), it has access plans in place for all late-stage projects; however, it does not engage in R&D for priority diseases.  

Opportunities for Boehringer Ingelheim

Expand the geographic reach of its oncology access plans. Boehringer Ingelheim has access plans in place for all its late-stage research and development projects. Its access plans for cardiovascular and kidney diseases have broad geographic reach, covering an average of 19 countries in scope, including lower-middle-income countries. However, the geographic focus of its oncology access plans is considerably more limited, covering an average of two countries (predominantly emerging markets). It can develop more comprehensive access plans for its oncology projects by expanding their geographic scope and addressing affordability barriers through equitable pricing plans. 

 Ensure sustainable access to essential medicines in low-income countries (LICs). Boehringer Ingelheim has access strategies in place for its products that are on the World Health Organization (WHO) Essential Medicines List (EML). However, coverage in LICs is absent or limited to donation-based approaches. For example, for products such as empagliflozin (Jardiance®), indicated for diabetes, heart failure and chronic kidney disease, and afatinib dimaleate (Giotrif®/Gilotrif®), indicated for lung cancer, it can expand access in LICs by establishing sustainable access strategies. 

 Build on technology transfer (TT) experience for medicines and vaccines in Africa. Boehringer Ingelheim and the Botswana Vaccine Institute renewed their long-standing partnership for the production and distribution of animal vaccines, including for rabies. The company can build on this experience to support manufacturing collaborations for human medicines, for example by partnering with local facilities in Africa. This could include TTs for non-communicable disease (NCD) products aligned with regional and continental health priorities. 

Changes since the 2024 Index

• In 2026, announced a 22% increase in investment in Mexico, with intentions to conduct 23 clinical studies in collaboration with 177 research institutions nationwide.  

• Has partnered with the WHO Foundation in a 3-year collaboration and has pledged USD 5mn to advance access to quality healthcare services, particularly for vulnerable populations in the Americas at greater risk of suicide. 

• Announced a new investment that will support the opening of 4 additional diabetes care clinics in Mexico, strengthening a partnership with Clínicas del Azúcar (Sugar Clinics) that began more than a decade ago.  

• Announced a strategic distribution partnership in South Africa, under which Aspen Pharmacare will manage the distribution of selected prescription medicines from Boehringer Ingelheim, effective from September 2025. 

• Launched the CRM Patient Africa initiative to strengthen healthcare for patients with chronic kidney disease in Rwanda, Kenya and Ghana.   

Sales and Operations

Therapeutic areas: Cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases, immunology, mental health, oncology, respiratory diseases, eye health 

Product categories: Animal health, innovative medicines 

Sample of pipeline and portfolio assessed by the Index

PIPELINE for diseases in scope

Boehringer Ingelheim has 16 R&D projects in scope, none of which target priority diseases. All 16 projects target other diseases in scope, including cancer (11), cardiovascular diseases (2) and kidney diseases (2). Of its 16 R&D projects, 6 are in late-stage development, with evidence of access planning for 100% (6/6) of these. 

PORTFOLIO as selected for analysis by the Index

Boehringer Ingelheim has 20 products in scope, 8 of which are listed on the WHO EML. Of its 19 medicines, 13 are on patent, and all 19 target NCDs, including asthma and COPD (6), diabetes (5), cardiovascular diseases (4) and 1 product indicated for diabetes, cardiovascular and kidney diseases. It has 1 vector control product in scope for rabies. 

Performance Breakdown

Governance of Access

RANK 9th, SCORE 4.00 

9th place. Boehringer Ingelheim performs well in Governance of Access, supported by board-level accountability, including access-related objectives in performance evaluations for senior leaders and in-country managers and robust controls against non-compliant or corrupt conduct. It applies a systematic, company-wide approach to measuring patient reach, with demonstrated progress for selected products. 

Has clear board-level accountability for access to medicine via the Board of Managing Directors and the CEO. This body oversees access-related strategies and reviews related matters at least annually under the MORE HEALTH/SD4G framework. Boehringer Ingelheim includes access-related objectives, such as patient reach targets in underserved communities, within performance evaluation frameworks for senior leaders and in-country managers. It provides training, awareness-raising or guidance to employees on the access-to-medicine strategy and activities at least annually.  

Shows strong commitment to responsible sales and promotional practices.  Boehringer Ingelheim sets individual-level sales targets that are derived from higher level targets (e.g. team, country, regional, national and global levels) and incentives which are not solely based on sales volume. Additionally, it publicly commits to ensuring ethical interactions with healthcare professionals in its code of conduct and declares that transfers of value to healthcare professionals (e.g., payments for attending events) are made at fair market value. It publicly discloses information on such payments in countries in scope if required by law or local regulation. 

Has a robust set of controls to promote ethical conduct and mitigate risk to ensure that governance efforts are not undermined by non-compliant or corrupt activities. Boehringer Ingelheim performs strongly in this respect. It has policies to mitigate noncompliance risks, including processes to ensure third-party compliance with company standards, fraud-specific risk assessments and region or country risk-based assessments. It has an ethical decision-making framework for employees and provides related training every 2 years. No breaches in countries in scope were found during the analysis period.  

Publicly supports the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health. Boehringer Ingelheim views the Declaration as a mechanism offering more juridical certainty to countries that may use the system. However, the company states that protecting intellectual property is the foundation for making long-term commitments to high-risk investment decisions in the research, development and commercialisation of innovative drug products.  

Performs strongly in its approach to measuring and reporting on patient reach. Boehringer Ingelheim applies a systematic, company-wide approach across its full portfolio and all markets where it supplies products. It publicly discloses the underlying equation and metrics; assumptions and limitations are under NDA. It has set a measurable, time-bound goal covering product reach and capacity-building initiatives across high- and low-income countries. Progress on product-level patient reach is demonstrated. Patient reach is reported at least annually and disaggregated by country-income and product level for certain products under NDA. 

Research and Development

RANK 8th, SCORE 2.27

8th place. Boehringer Ingelheim performs well in R&D. Although it has no priority disease pipeline projects in scope, all late-stage projects have access plans in place, often with broad reach across upper-middle-income countries (UMICs) and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). Its R&D capacity-building performance is strong, with four of five initiatives meeting all Good Practice Standards (GPS), and it publicly discloses R&D investment data by development phase. 

Does not have any pipeline projects addressing priority diseases in scope.  

Average-sized pipeline addressing other diseases in scope, compared to peers, consisting of 16 projects, with access plans identified for 100% (6/6) of its late-stage R&D projects. These projects target diseases not currently identified as priorities by global health stakeholders. Access plans focus predominantly on registration preparation and supply and demand planning, with a broad geographic scope, targeting UMICs and LMICs.  

Publicly discloses disaggregated R&D investment data for phase of development. However, Boehringer Ingelheim does not disclose disaggregated R&D investment data to global health organisations.*  

*Boehringer Ingelheim currently has no pipeline candidates within the disease scope of Impact Global Health, an organisation that assesses disaggregated R&D data. 

4 of 5 R&D capacity-building initiatives included for analysis meet all GPS. In 1 initiative, Boehringer Ingelheim recently launched the CRM Patient Africa initiative, which strengthens clinical research capacity in Rwanda, Ghana and Kenya through investigator training, real-world evidence generation, partnerships with public health institutions and long-term knowledge transfer. 

Product Delivery

RANK 5TH, SCORE 3.33 

5th place. Boehringer Ingelheim performs strongly in Product Delivery. It has access strategies for its healthcare practitioner (HCP)-administered and self-administered products, with outcomes tracked and reported. It also has a comprehensive, well-tracked access strategy for its supranationally procured product. Capacity-building and health system strengthening initiatives largely meet GPS. However, it registers its newer products in fewer countries than peers on average, and it does not publicly disclose patent information via its website or a patent database. 

Registers its newer products* in fewer countries (1) than its peers on average. However, Boehringer Ingelheim’s products are, on average, registered in more countries with the highest burden of disease (3) compared to peers. For most products assessed, there is evidence of registration in at least 1 LIC. Empagliflozin (Jardiance®), licensed for multiple indications including diabetes, cardiovascular and kidney diseases, is its most widely registered product, totalling 46 countries in scope, an increase of 3 countries since the previous Index. It reports engaging in national reliance registration pathways to facilitate registration for multiple products.  

*Products that received their first marketing authorisation within the last 5 years. 

Comprehensive access strategies and outcomes reporting for its supranationally procured product. Boehringer Ingelheim supplies its veterinary rabies vaccine (Rabisin®) via the PAHO. It also demonstrates access strategies for the product in Vietnam, a country not included in the PAHO agreement. It shares the number of doses and countries supplied via the supranational agreement, as well as doses supplied in Vietnam, and plans to progress the strategy in the future.  

Access strategies for its HCP-administered products in most countries, with outcomes tracked and reported. For 1 of the 2 products analysed, both indicated for cardiovascular diseases, Boehringer Ingelheim provides evidence of access strategies across all 3 income classifications (UMIC, LMIC, LIC). The 2nd product, tenecteplase (Metalyse®), is publicly reimbursed in both the UMIC and LMIC examples, but there is no evidence of supply in any LIC. The company engages in health system strengthening through the Angels Initiative, a global programme aimed at improving acute stroke care, for some of the examples provided. For all strategies analysed, it tracks and reports the number of patients reached.  

Access strategies for its self-administered products in most countries, with outcomes tracked and reported. For 4 of the 5 products selected for analysis, Boehringer Ingelheim provides access strategy examples in all 3 country income classifications (UMIC, LMIC, LIC). In a UMIC, it has a partnership to provide access to 1 of its products and improve affordability for patients, specifically targeting the poor segment of the population. For 2 products, it collaborates with mPharma as part of its long-term Access to Healthcare programme, providing financial and non-financial support to patients in LMICs. Three of its products are supplied to an LIC via donations to humanitarian organisations, while for another product, it works with local distributors to support LIC supply. For all strategies analysed, outcomes are tracked and reported, including patient reach numbers.  

Publicly commits not to file for or enforce patents on any products in over 60 countries in scope. This applies to all LICs in scope, as well as the vast majority of LDCs and many LMICs and UMICs in scope. Boehringer Ingelheim publicly discloses the list of countries to which this commitment applies.  

Does not publish patent information for its products on its website or via a patent database, such as Pat-INFORMED.  

Does not engage in non-exclusive voluntary licensing for products in scope. 

All 5 manufacturing capacity-building initiatives included for analysis meet all GPS. For example, Boehringer Ingelheim has partnered with the Botswana Vaccine Institute since 1978, transferring technology for animal vaccines. It has extended its partnership by 10 years.  

4 of the 5 supply chain capacity-building initiatives included for analysis meet all GPS. For example, Boehringer Ingelheim supported Drop Access, an organisation providing sustainable and accessible health solutions to rural communities in Kenya, such as the solar-powered cold-chain solution VacciBox. Through this initiative, it provided Drop Access with financial support and expertise.  

4 of the 5 health system strengthening initiatives included for analysis meet all GPS. For example, Boehringer Ingelheim partners with local organisations and social enterprises to improve the diagnosis, treatment and management of NCDs in underserved communities in Kenya. The initiative combines screening, subsidised treatment, patient support and awareness training activities.  

Newly engaged in 96 IP-sharing agreements with public research institutions and drug discovery initiatives to accelerate drug development. In these agreements, Boehringer Ingelheim provides researchers with access to high-quality compounds via opnMe.com to support early-stage research addressing unmet patient needs. The company remains engaged in existing agreements.  

Publicly commits to continuing its long-term donation programme to support the elimination of dog-mediated human rabies. Boehringer Ingelheim commits to donating its rabies vaccine (Rabisin®) to support the global goal of eliminating human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030. Donations are made in selected countries where STOP Rabies is active. 

Fulfils all 3 mechanisms to ensure continuous supply in LMICs and is involved in local manufacturing at its own sites in countries in scope and demonstrates involvement in TTs. These TTs are designed to improve patient access, including ongoing support to the manufacturer. For example, Boehringer Ingelheim initiated a TT for local manufacturing of ipratropium bromide (Atrovent®) and ipratropium bromide/fenoterol hydrobromide (Berodual®) in Colombia to ensure local supply of these products.  

Has a policy for reporting substandard and falsified medicines in countries in scope. Boehringer Ingelheim reports cases to national or local regulatory authorities within 7 days. It provides evidence of shortened timeframes for reporting cases that only require visual inspection for confirmation.  

No evidence of inclusive business models that meet all inclusion criteria. However, Boehringer Ingelheim’s Access to Healthcare initiative demonstrates approaches that facilitate access for populations often not addressed by the company’s existing business models.